


Things change

by Loveforthestory



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: F/M, New Vegas with a twist this time, Season two with a Charloe focus, Sexual Content, charloe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2015-03-24
Packaged: 2018-02-09 19:37:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 54,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1995336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveforthestory/pseuds/Loveforthestory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Season two with a Charloe focus. This story is a sequel to 'Going Back'.<br/>When Charlie brings back Bass, this story begins and it will take them through season two. But now a whole season two with a Charloe focus, with changes, with new moments, a growing relationship between them when they are on the road once more. Vegas with a twist. And this time, Bass will be there in Austin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the middle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story is a sequel to 'Going Back'. Will they find each other somewhere down an almost impossible road? When Charlie brings back Bass, this story begins and will take them through season two. But now a season two with a Charloe focus, with changes, with new moments, with impossible moments, a growing relationship between them when they are on the road once more.

_**Earlier this year, I started to write fanfiction. This story, 'Things Change', was one of my first stories. I was new to writing in another language other than my own, new to fanfiction. I worked on other stories and I have never finished this one.** _

_**When some very kind people asked me about this story, I decided it was time to return to this story.I wanted to finish it. Those questions and messages were very inspiring and the spark for writing more for this story.** _

_**I read the first chapters. Found a lot of mistakes. Being new to another language and how everything worked, the chapters were sometimes messy. I have learned a lot, had a lot of your amazing support, feedback and reviews and that's why I made the decision to go through the first chapters of this story again. I wanted to do this.** _

_**This will be a longer story again, just like Words of Betrayal, and because of that and the time and energy it will take, I wanted to go back to the first part of the story I already wrote and get familiar with the story again, and make the chapters more smoothly for you to read.** _

_**I decided to 'start' again, by publishing the chapters, but then with the things I wanted to adjust. The first 14 chapters will be published again. I could not go back to rewrite them on FF, because those files have been removed. So, I will publish the chapters again and then the story continues.** _

_**This story is a sequel to 'Going Back'. A story about what happened on the road between Charlie and Bass after she had found Monroe in Vegas and they both returned to Willoughby.** _

_**This story will take Charlie and Bass on the road in second two, focuses on them and will follow the story but with changes, new moments, and focuses on Charloe through the whole season ( yeah, I told you already this will be a long story).** _

_**You can expect more very soon and then I will continue the story for you.** _

* * *

In the middle

* * *

Charlie was leaning her slender body against a wall, making sure she stayed out of sight. She used the little alley she was currently standing in for cover, now she was back in the town she had walked out of three months ago.

She knew Miles was in the building behind her back, she saw him walking in a while ago. The sight of her uncle was a familiar one, but still made her heartbeat pick up.

She had slowly moved around the small town. She had recognised him immediately when he turned a corner right in front of her. Dark hair, his boots that always were so casually tied.  _Miles_. It was almost surreal to be back at Willoughby. Surreal and yet so familiar. It was still here, the town she had left behind to leave so much pain behind.

The walk from where she had parted with Monroe to the town was a short one. She had been aware of the details of her surroundings, ready to spring into action at any moment because she simply did not know what to expect walking ahead. They had spotted the kaki uniforms from earlier, their first meeting with the patriots that now seemed to control the town.

Together with Monroe, she had found a small shed with a good view on the town gate, and used the roof, to check out what would be waiting for them. She was laying next to Monroe on her stomach. She had been in a hurry to get to her family, but Monroe had grabbed her wrist and told her they had to check the situation out first.

She had been irritated because he had been right, his fingers, his steal grip, his large hand easily covering her whole wrist, his warm skin and sweaty palm burning into her skin when he had stopped her, getting her attention by stopping her this way when she had been ready to get off the roof.

It had been a long couple of weeks on the road and when Monroe called her by her name now,  _Charlie_  would roll of his lips instead of the formal  _Charlotte_.

They had moved around the town, deciding Charlie would go in first. When she had walked away from Monroe he had stopped her, calling her by her name. When she had turned around his blue eyes had been burning into her. It was like he had changed his mind about something and he just nodded. To her own surprise, she had nodded back. There had been silence between them, when their eyes had locked.

She had turned around and found the path she knew had to be there, his eyes still burning in her back.

She had been ready for anything, but the path under the trees had been silent. She had made sure she blended in with the townspeople as soon as she was walking through the streets.

Now, she only had to wait for Miles to show up. Her thoughts wandered back to the man who was waiting for her return just outside town.  _Monroe._  Being in Willoughby made those weeks on the road she spent with him feel close and yet already strangely far away at the same time.

For weeks it had been just the two of them. Monroe and her.

And now she came back, back to what she had left behind after the Tower. She came back to her family. Back because of him. Monroe had saved her life in that bar. Storming in, working his way through the men that had tried to rape her. To kill her. To ditch her somewhere. If Monroe had not been there, that  _would_  have happened.

When she had left, many months ago, Monroe was an almost abstract concept to her. He was the leader, the general and the President of a republic that held their life in its cold and violent grip. The man she held accountable for so much of her hurt and loss.

Her mantra of killing him, of wanting him dead, craving his dead as the answer to unbearable pain had always been by her side.

And now that mantra was gone, the hurt and loss still as deep wound within her, he had become human.

_Human._

He had turned in so much more.

It had been little well placed comments from Monroe,  _Knowing him he is with your mom,_ that had been getting a hold of her. Little cuts into a firm foundation that had been her world, and the way she had looked at it. How much she had hated him, he had started to brake open the way she viewed the people around her.

She still carried raging hate and loathing for him with, but there were so many new feelings she had to give a place among them when it came to Monroe.

Those weeks on the road made her see he was capable of more than destruction, more than madness and killing.

She did not expect to remember him, Monroe, being a part of her family once, before everything changed forever.

But she did.

She did not expect that he would give her some comfort, a lifeline in a dark night filled with darkness and fear.

But he did.

She did not expect that he would save her life, save her from an experience that would take away a piece of her that she would never get back.

But he did.

And finally she never expected to feel so very torn, all those feelings almost tearing her apart from the inside.

But she did.

She was torn between the way she saw the man she got to know better and the man who stood next to Strausser, when he had ordered his man to hold her at gunpoint to pressure her mother into finishing what she had started for him in his madness in wanting to bring back power. Power that would to more control.

She was torn by loyalty and love towards her family and torn by things she started to learn and experience on her own.

The feeling of getting ripped apart somewhere in the middle was a battle that just had begun.

She forced herself to come back to the present world around her. Charlie heard Miles before she saw him. She would recognize the sound of his boots everywhere. She kicked a little tin can in front of him. Miles, busy with his own thoughts, turned around slowly. When he turned around surprise was all over his face. Surprise and something else. There was a scarce gentleness in his eyes. He took her in with his eyes, reassuring himself that it was really her.

He closed the distance to her, his arms opening for her. Pulling her close.  _Miles_. Her head against his neck, close to his chest. For a moment she was overwhelmed by a feeling close to coming home warming her. His hand gently on her hair.

She realised this was the way she had parted with him, many months ago. Back then she had to fight the tears in her eyes and heaviness in her heart. One last embrace before she had to go. One more time taking in the scent of whiskey that was Miles, before she had to walk away from everything else that was slowly crushing her.

She had to leave him, her mother and her family behind, wanting to find something, leaving behind everything she wanted to forget. But now she was back.

She asked him to follow her, and he did. Miles knew his niece, she was going to give him answers when she was ready. So for now he followed her and they found a place to talk. When she finally told him she came back to save their asses, with a smirk on their face and her hands casually on her hips, Miles laughed. A true laugh, so very rare from him. A sparkle in his eyes. It was so good to see him. To kid around, to feel that their relationship hadn't changed.

She followed the same path she took several hours ago, Miles not far behind her. They did not have much time, but Charlie realised Miles was aware of the trouble that was ahead, a lot had happened when she was away. She found out that he was working on something, although he didn't fill her in on the details yet.

The terrain and ground before her was rough, and she focussed on the path ahead, jumping from one stone to the other. She knew that with every step they would get closer to Monroe. The lightness of the moment she just shared with Miles faded. She started to recognize the line of threes ahead were she left Monroe.

 _'She really missed you Charlie,'_  Miles had started to talk about her mother a while back.  _'Try to go easy on her when you see her, okay?'_ He continued.

Charlie knew Miles meant well. Although Charlie missed her mother, she really did, being back in Willoughby brought the pain and hurt back. It was still there. Of course it was still there. Travelling, trying to lose herself on the road, it did not do one thing to that pain and hurt. She felt herself pulling up that old wall to push out the old hurt.

' _I'll try to play nice Miles, I promise'_

It came out sharper then she imagined. She did not want to think about the intense relationship with her mother. The man that was now so very close to her uncle and herself was enough on her mind right now.

 _'So now you have to promise me something, '_  Charlie changed to subject. Memories revisiting her from the time Miles met Monroe in Philly. The intense battle between them that followed their encounter. Was she really going to do this?  _'Promise me to not explode or something else in that order.'_

She felt and heard the surprise in Miles his voice when he answered her.

_'Charlie, what? Hey, of course not, that is never the way to...'_

Miles stopped talking abruptly. A little ahead Monroe was waiting for them. He stood tall, his shirt slightly blowing open in the wind, tanned skin above the line of his shirt. Weapon in his hand, casually but still close to him.

 _'Miles,_  ' Monroe said, in a low unsure tone. Ready for everything. After all, he knew how to read Miles after decades of friendship. Monroe's eyes were focussed on Miles.

Charlie caught Miles' his look. This moment had been on her mind now from the first step of the first day she sat course back to Willoughby, Monroe walking behind so, so close she could hear his breathing.

She was not the type of person that would walk away from what would happen. Hoping her uncle would understand, she met Miles'eyes and faced this head on.

His eyes were dark and full of questions and confusion. Then his eyes went back to Monroe. Charlie felt her body tense up, and swallowed hard.

She could not help but feel for Miles, her chest heavy with guilt. She was determined that bringing Monroe back was necessary but at this moment, after everything Miles and she went through, it felt impossible.

The silence around them, under an old broken down bridge, was heavy with anticipation. The energy was palpable.

She knew the next moments were decisive. She had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next. With her Uncle and Monroe, together within each other's reach, she knew things could go either way. Miles took a couple of quick steps towards Monroe, while Charlie followed him quickly, placing herself between Monroe and her uncle.

 _'What did you do to her?'_ Miles' brown eyes locked with Monroe's.

Miles was almost in front of Monroe. Charlie could feel how things were about to go very wrong, very fast. She closed the distance between her and the two man facing each other now. She was very aware of their movements, of the weapons they were each carrying.

 _'Nothing...'_  Monroe's simple reply, his tone cautious and almost soothing, trying to connect with Miles. Meanwhile his body language changed, taking a step back, opening up his arms towards Miles to show he wasn't there to tear the place apart, trying to keep things calm between them.

 _' You son of a bitch, I know you.'_  Miles threw in Monroe's face, this time with more anger and a stronger tone _, 'what did you do to her?'_

The meaning of those words was heavy in the air.

Monroe's eyes pierced into Miles' eyes.  _'Nothing, I didn't touch her.'_

She heard him speaking those word and she felt and heard in Monroe's voice how important it was for him that Miles knew he did not touch her, that he did not hurt her.

Charlie was standing next to Monroe now, facing Miles. She realised that somehow she chose a position next to Monroe, trying to reach Miles with her eyes.

How important it was that Miles believed him. He hadn't touched her _._

 _In fact he had made sure that a lot of other men had not touched her,_  flashed through Charlie's mind.

But it was too soon to share this with Miles, to soon to touch that memory. She just couldn't. So she went for the defence.

_'I wouldn't let him touch me, Miles.'_

Charlie did not look at Monroe when she spoke those words. There it was again, feeling torn, literally standing between Miles and Monroe.

She automatically fell back to the old habit of putting distance between her and Monroe.

When she wanted to reassure Miles that Monroe was indeed telling the truth, but she could not tell him the whole story, she choose her words in a way that could mean that him not touching her was her own accomplishment, keeping him away and not Monroe who had been respectful in that regard to her.

Because he had.

She knew that somewhere in her heart she wanted to choose different words, but right now this was the only way how she could deal with the guilt she felt towards Miles and her family. That's why she choose those words. She saw her words reached Miles, who was turning her way.

 _'I saved her life.'_  Monroe's voice careful. His eyes reaching out for his brother looking for some kind of validation in Miles his eyes. An opening to reach him.

Miles calmed down slightly, looking at Monroe. Monroe looking at him. At that moment Charlie could see, for the very first time herself, how these men knew each other for such a long time. The silence seemed to last for a very long time.

Miles looked Charlie's way, when he finally came to the conclusion Charlie was fearing to her. Fearing her uncle would not understand.

 _'You brought him here,'_  Miles said, a sigh almost under those words, confusion, disbelieve.

It was as simple as it was the truth.

Because Charlie did.

She felt a pinch in her stomach when Miles came to that conclusion. She did bring Monroe back to Miles. To this town. To her family. And she still hoped and wished, just like she told Monroe last night when they shared that last night on the road, in a shed just before Willoughby in a thunderstorm, Miles was willing to listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will update the story soon, chapter two will be published as soon as I can. Thanks again for the lovely people who asked for this story, it gave me the spark to start writing again. I thank you! If you don't want to read these chapters again, from chapter 15 it will be all new chapters and more story! Until the next chapter? Love from Love


	2. Two generals, one woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I started last chapter, the first one, by explaining why I am publishing these first chapters again. If you have not read it, I want to explain a little about why I did that. If you have..the chapter is under this author's note.
> 
> Earlier this year, I started to write fanfiction. This story, 'Things Change', was one of my first stories. I was new to writing in another language other than my own, new to fanfiction. I worked on other stories and I have never finished this one. Lovely people asked about the story, giving me inspiration and a new spark to come back and write again.  
> I read the first chapters. Found a lot of mistakes. Being new to another language and how everything worked, the chapters were sometimes messy. I have learned a lot, had a lot of your amazing support, feedback and reviews and that's why I made the decision to go through the first chapters of this story again. I wanted to do this. This will be a longer story again, just like Words of Betrayal, and because of that and the time and energy it will take, I wanted to go back to the first part of the story I already wrote and get familiar with the story again, and make the chapters more smoothly for you to read.

Bass had watched Charlie when she walked away. Her back straight, her dark blonde long hair flowing over her shoulders and moving along her body with every step she took.

He had called out her name, and she had turned around. Right at that moment, he had felt like a stupid idiot. He had no fucking clue what to say at the first place and he took the easy way out, by nodding at her. Cursing at himself for what the hell he was thinking. But to his surprise, there was a nod back from Charlie. A nod with not so unfriendly eyes before she turned around and kept walking towards the town.

It had reminded him of another day, not too long ago. Charlie had stared him directly in the eyes, and dared him to shoot her if he wanted to stop her. There were not many people in the world who ever did that, who dared to stood up to  _him_.

She had been standing so close, he had been feeling her damn breath against his face, he had seen how her skin was tanned by many days on the road, her eyes piercing at was the same fierceness he had seen in her eyes when he stood next to Strausser, when he had used Charlie as a way to manipulate Rachel. He had not been able to take his god damn eyes away from her at that point, when she was protecting her brother with a firing loyal sisterly love.

And it seemed, however things had changed in the last couple of months, his eyes were always searching hers. He told himself that he had too. This girl came so close to actually killing him, he could never let her out his sight. Where Miles had not been able to pull the fucking trigger, she had.

And then he told herself it was because she was Miles' family. And because he had once said at a base across country across time, that his family was his too, he felt a responsibility for her. He needed her to bring her back to him. Needed her to be the fuck alive if Miles was ever willing to listen to him.

When he had realised it was Charlie who was tied up against the wall on his left, after taking one hell of a fall from the edge of that swimming pool, he could not yet completely understand the change he noticed in her. She looked tougher, harder.

She could deliver emotional punches like her mother, she could look at him like Miles.

Their first weeks on the road had been not exactly like a fucking holiday, but he had been surprised by her. She understood that now they were back on the road they had to stick together. The first sign that she was in fact, not the same as Rachel, like he had thrown in her face. She had kept up with him. She had skills, was smart, edgy and one hell of a fighter. Miles had trained her well, but as he had watched her move, he knew it was in her blood.

Bass had his hand on the hilt of his sword when he was standing up hill, hours had passed since he had watched Charlie disappear, when he had heard Miles even before he saw him. Matheson eyes had found Monroe eyes, like they had done so many times before under many different circumstances.

When he told Miles he had saved Charlie's life, Charlie's reply to Miles was that she wouldn't let him touch her. It had stung like hell. Her words did not deny the truth of his words, but he knew he was a fool for believing she would tell Miles the way things were. What he had done for her.

And right now Charlie's eyes were on Miles, waiting for his reaction when Miles was realising it was her that brought Monroe back.

Disappointment and dread filled her, when she saw that her uncle was turning away from her and Monroe and told her to leave.  _No_ , she thought. All those weeks on the road with him could not be for nothing. He  _had_ to listen. Monroe was a lot of things, but she also believed him to be right when it came to these patriots.

_'Miles, wait, you..._ '

_'Charlie, let's go.'_  It was a statement, not a question.

She was still standing close to Monroe when she heard Monroe from behind her, his voice filled with aggression she could feel in her stomach, his words virbating in her chest and stomach. She could hear he was losing control.

_'I just walked half the map to help you, Miles.'_

Miles turned back to face Bass.  _'You are here to help, Bass?_ ' Irritation and sarcasm in his tone.

_'The way I see things, is that you are going to need help with those US guys, you schmuck,'_  Bass gave a condescending look towards Miles' hurt right hand, bandages around it.

_'Just go away, Bass._ ' Miles' tone was on edge.  _'I don't need your help, I should kill you,'_ Miles added in a low voice, emphasising on the killing part.

Charlie felt the change in Monroe, felt old hurt and betrayal hovering in the air.

_'Yeah you should have, but you were never able to pull the trigger yourself, right?'_  Memories were haunting him, memories from that night his best friend had tried to kill him.

Charlie heard how Monroe was throwing another insult at Miles. It irritated her, him being all Monroe in his full glory at this point. She could see Miles was done, ready to walk away. Miles turned around, gestured to Charlie she should follow and walked away.

_'They nuked our city Miles...Our city._ ' His voice was rough, full of anger, shouting at Miles.

It stopped Miles cold in his tracks. His dark eyes grew even darker with devastation. He could hear himself counting down the seconds, when watching the unimaginable happen at the screens in the tower. He heard himself screaming at Rachel and Aaron to stop what was unfolding before their eyes. Their city, their home, lost with one push on a button.

_'I want revenge, and the best way is you and me, together. You know that, right?_ ' Bass knew he had to try, although Miles' was pissing him beyond anything right now.

_'I am asking you...I am asking for a truce.'_

Charlie knew Monroe meant it, his eyes on her uncle and she felt how Miles his energy was changing as well. She felt a weird form of relieve and after a long pause she could hear her how her uncle and Monroe were actually starting to talk to each other. It was full of hesitation from Miles' part, although Monroe was eager to connect and talk.

Miles filled them in on the trouble in town talked about the meeting he had with John Fry. So yes, to say the town and they were in trouble was an understatement. Very much so.

Charlie asked Miles why they would not just get her mum and leave. Miles logic response was that this was a good a place as any to make a stand.

_'Damn right, you are talking about starting a war, let Texas fight the Patriots for us,'_ Monroe agreed.

It slowly clicked in her mind that they were actually talking about starting a war. This was the first time she stood between her uncle and Monroe and watching them talk made her see, really see, that there was a bound through time between those two men. She could see how Monroe's eyes actually lit up, when he tried to talk about something that had happened in Ann Harbour. When Charlie wanted to know more, Miles cut this part of the conversation of fast.

So, here she was, standing between two generals, no..two generals and a former President. Under a bridge. Talking about starting a war. When she thought about it, it became very surreal, very fast. Charlie wanted adventure for so many years and well, she got it, she thought with a bitter sense of sarcasm.

_'I promised John Fry proof,_ ' Miles came back to the topic they were discussing a little bit earlier.

_'Well, then, don't worry, we will get you some proof.'_  Bass answered, realising this was Miles' way of telling him they were on. That he had accepted him, for now. Bass took it.

Charlie did not miss the almost enlightened tone in Monroe's voice when he told this to Miles.

The three of them found themselves on the road, searching for any kind of leads that could help them. Charlie focussed on the tracks around her She was tracking but constantly aware of her uncle and Monroe around her. When darkness fell and Monroe talked about the trail leading nowhere, shots were fired at their direction.

Their instincts kicked in fast. They found cover behind a low wall.

_'So, what's the plan?!'_  Charlie yelled, trying to get over the sound of the bullets firing their way.

_'Remember South bend?'_  Monroe shouted to Miles.

_'Yeah that should work!'_  Miles shouted back.

Charlie felt an irritation building up, combined with adrenaline for the fight that was unfolding before them. They were literally mid fight, and their asses were on the line and here they were, ignoring the hell out of her.

_'Seriously? You guys are just naming cities!'_  She shouted to both of them.  _Where they kidding right now?_  Forget irritation, now she was just pissed off.

_'Cover us!'_  Monroe shouted her way without waiting for a response _._ He knew she could handle this and she knew Charlie would watch their backs.  _'Now!'_

Monroe threw a weapon towards her. Being unprepared, she did caught it, but it hurtled like hell. The last things she noticed was how Monroe and Miles were taking off, going for their positions in the field.

_'Son of a bitch!_ ' she yelled at nobody in particular. She started shooting, deciding to take her anger out on some patriots.

After the short but intense fight was over, Miles was able to capture one of the patriots they could use for information. Charlie could not help but see a smugness on Monroe's face when he was teaming up with Miles to prepare to drag the patriot away.

_'Everything alright, kid?'_  Miles asked with amusement in his voice when he noticed the kind of really pissed of face that belonged to his niece.

Charlie threw him her best are you seriously right now look. She hated when he called her that. Miles knew, which only pissed her of even more.

She started walking back towards the small wall to collect some of her personal stuff . When passing Monroe and without giving him any warming, she threw his weapon back at him.

She did not bother to look if he caught it, but hearing him swear under his breath, was all the satisfaction she needed. She smiled and kept walking.

Bass caught the rifle mid air, while he cursed something under his breath. He cursed something, but then his eyes fell on the rhythm of her hips when she walked away, before turning his attention back to Miles and the son of a bitch patriot.

* * *

It was almost midnight, and they had arrived, with the patriot, to the Mill where Miles was going to meet with Fry at any moment. Monroe had tied the patriot up in a chair and now he was double checking his chains, making sure the son of a bitch was not going anywhere soon.

Bass watched how that patriot son of a bitch had his eyes on Charlie. He watched her, leaned against a wooden balustrade, weapon in her hand. Was it fucked up she kind of looked hot as fuck and he wanted to fuck her against that balustrade right there and then? Probably.

He was not going to leave the room until he knew she was alright with this bastard. He found her deep blue eyes which she allowed him to find.

Charlie kept her face relaxed but she could not help but feel a little wave of s _omething_ , when she realised he was checking if she was alright before he left. She nodded to assure him. And when he left the room she could not help to think how the hell she was developing some kind of bound, some kind of understanding with Monroe. And why on earth that did not feel wrong.

After a while she could hear Miles' voice coming from the other room. His tone made her immediately cautious and on edge. Something was wrong, very wrong because her uncle rarely bothered to raise his voice like this.

_'Hold on Rachel, hold on!'_  He was shouting. The tone of Miles' voice and knowing who he was shouting at made her skin crawl. Her mom, she was here. The next thing that reached Charlie through the nightly silence lingering in the old mill was the sharp sound of somebody loading a weapon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very excited to write again, and am looking forward to take Charlie and Bass through the entire season. Until the next chapter, Love from Love


	3. Being apart and awake

Bass had made a plan B with Miles after the only leverage they had took a nice bite of cyanide, destroying their chances of getting the proof to Fry that Miles had told him he would have.

They made sure that Fry's body disappeared, but not before they framed the room so that it would look like the patriots had shot him.

He had been surprised by Miles' reaction. By Charlie's look full of loathing after she had walked into the room, when he had put a bullet in Fry. This was war, and those sons of bitches needed to be dealt with. So he took a decision, making sure they were still in the game.

He was confused out if his damn mind. This is what they, Miles and him, always did, always had done, together. Making sure the job got done. Texas would give those patriots hell, if they would find Fry's body.

They had decided he would sleep in an empty run down shed, away from the town's centre to keep him out of sight. He was sitting on a wooden box, his hands on his elbows, staring into the dark.

He was looking to his left, half expecting to find Charlie over there, asleep. Blonde curls, her slender body under a blanket, her crossbow close. He shook his head.

There was nothing but darkness, dirt and emptiness around him in this fucking shed.

Last night, the last he had spent with Charlie on the road in another shed felt like ages ago. He had watched her while she was watching the storm around them, something that had been heavy in the air all day.

_She was deep in her own thoughts, leaning into the doorpost. It reminded him of Miles, the way she was staring, thinking. He noticed how she was shivering, even without noticing herself. He threw her jacket her way and she took it, without even arguing or throwing him a cold look._

_But what he could remember most, and maybe he shouldn't keep going back to that moment, was the moment she took a step back when lighting hit the ground before the shed. He watched her. her, full of adrenaline when she took a step back. She had crashed into his chest._

_He froze. He felt the smooth curves of her small back against his chest, her hair soft to his cheek. Charlie did not not moved either. So he did the only thing he could. He stood there, with her._

_Suddenly, way to aware of his body so close to hers, he stepped away and had never been happier over some piece of bread and cheese that he had pulled out of his back earlier._

_She sat down against the back wall of the shed next to him. She told him how she hoped that Miles would listen to him. He expected her smart ass mouth to tell him something else too, but it never came. No cold looks, no pushing him away._

_He did not understand what changed, and why the hell it mattered, he just knew that something between them had shifted._

_The storm had raged on,when Charlie was slowly falling asleep next to him. He watched her toss and turn, realising she had forgotten her blanket in the wagon and that the intensity of the storm, and probably her Matheson stubbornness, kept her from going back to the wagon and collect it._

_He took his own blanket, and closed the distance to her. He was not sure what hell was going to break loose when she would wake up and notice him being so close but he slowly covered her with his own blanket, holding in his damn breath. He sat down against the wall, zipped up his jacket and listened to the rain and watched how Charlie wrapped herself closer into his blanket._

_When morning came, the storm had passed, and it was time to get back on the road again. He had waited for her to wake up and leave the shed. Then he went over to the horses to make sure everything was ready to go._

_He heard her approaching and when he realised she was walking towards him, he turned around._

_His attention went to her face, the wind had picked up a string of her hair and brushed her face. He looked away, his attention back to the horses on his right. Then he turned his head and locked eyes with her. Before he knew it the moment was over, but when she returned the blanket, he could her a flat thank you. But it had been still a thank you._

When the memory faded, it left him alone in the empty and dark shed.

Told himself to get a fucking grip. Thought of why he came back to Miles. Came to this damn town.

Patriots, Texas and war.

Revenge.

Blue eyes and the rythem of her hips before him poking through those thoughts again.

_Charlie._

Charlie walking into that Mill, when Rachel had a gun aimed at his face. Her eyes cold, and there was no fucking doubt in his mind that Rachel  _would_ pull that damn trigger. He had not been sure what would happen if Rachel would see Charlie.

He had not been surprised what Rachel had been insinuating. But he was surprised to watch Charlie stop in front of her, next to Miles. She stood behind her choice, straightening her shoulders, waiting for Rachel's reaction. She told Rachel why she had brought him back and was not taking any of Rachel's bitching. In that moment, his eyes going from Rachel to Charlie for a second, he felt for her. He had wondered why Charlie left, and when Charlie spoke in flat words, he knew how much it took from her to face all this bullshit again.

He let a sigh out a frustrated sigh between his teeth, sunrise was still hours away.

 _Revenge._ That's what he came back for.

_Revenge._

* * *

Charlie could not figure out where she was when she wake up with a rush of adrenaline. She felt a bed under her. It was soft, clean sheets around her body. She had expected to feel the cold forest night air against her face, to hear the nightly sounds of the forest above her and see the shape of Monroe's body in the dark, not too far away from her.

But then she remembered she was not on the road anymore. She was back in Willoughby. Back in her grandfather's home. Back at the place, and the past it held, she had left behind now almost three months ago.

Her mind went back to the moment she had rushed back into the room where Miles was shouting at her mother. When Charlie had walked into the room she had quickly taken in what was happening in front of her.

Monroe was standing at one side in the room that was the heart of the old Mill.

Aaron was in the back.

Her mother before him at the other side of the room, piercing icy eyes blazing , her face on edge, a shotgun firmly in her hands.

Miles caught in the middle, trying to reason with her mom.

 _'Get out of my way Miles,'_  Rachel said, her tone cold and determined, the end of the shotgun piercing into her own body. Her aim still firmly on Monroe. Her face filled with harsh tension.

 _'Rachel, '_  Miles' eyes were on the woman in front of him, he knew the moment Bass and she would met, all hell would indeed break loose,  _'we don't have time for this, Fry is going to be here any minute, and I'm supposed to meet with him. Alone'_

 _'Why are you protecting him, Miles?!_ ' Rachel was shouting now, anger and more cold frustration in her voice while she could not believe her eyes that Miles was still standing between her and Monroe.

Charlie felt her face tense up, along with the rest of her body while she walked into the space. She was not surprised that it took her mother only a couple of seconds to get her hands at a gun and point it towards Monroe. She knew this moment was coming, when the past would crash itself into the present moment. She walked forwards and positioned herself between her mother  _and_ Monroe, next to Miles.

 _'Because he's here to help,'_  she said firm but also almost flatly,hearing her own voice in the dark and silent room, looking at her mother, doubting her mother would time the time to listen why she had done what she had done, what happened to her on the road, what happened in Pottsboro. Old frustration was working it's way into the conversation with her mom already. Monroe was here to fight the patriots, she did not came back to watch her mother make it all about her again. _No._

She felt how Monroe shot her a look, when she said this. She could feel his eyes.

 _'Charlie?'_  Rachel was clearly surprised, when she found herself looking at her daughter once again, after long months.

 _'And because I brought him,'_  Charlie added, waiting for her mother's reaction, facing her mother's eyes with hers.

She could hear Miles sigh next to her _. 'Perfect Charlie, that was very helpful,_ ' his voice full of sarcasm.

Rachel's eyes lit up, holding on to her weapon even more before shooting a cold look at Monroe, while her tone went to a condescending and loathing place.

 _'So, you brought him here, and why ...why on earth would you do that?'_  Rachel's eyes were now back on Monroe. The insinuations in those words were lingering in the air.

Miles was running out of patience, hell, they would have company soon and this nice little tea party would have to wait. He took one big step forward and grabbed the weapon from her hands.

_'You can shoot each other later, right now you need to get out of sight.'_

When he realised that nobody was moving, he yelled with frustration _. 'Now! I am begging you, go!'_

He turned around to throw the shotgun at Monroe, as he gestured to the loft upstairs for Charlie, Rachel and Aaron to disappear into.

Charlie joined Aaron and her mother into the small loft. Aaron smiled at her, and she had hugged him. She just had to, she was happy to see his friendly face. Then she turned towards her mother.

 _'Hey,_ ' Charlie said with reservation.

Her mother decided to go all in from second one.

_'You brought him here? Monroe? Monroe off al people?'_

_'Rachel..'_ It was Aaron, his normally so gentle words filled with a kind of warning towards Rachel.

He was happy to see Charlie again, he had been so worried for her. He had watched her take care of Rachel for weeks after the tower, when Charlie stayed strong and kept on going. If Charlie was back, with Monroe, which he had to admit was a kind of suprise, then Charlie would have a good reason. Hearing Rachel going for the attack in seconds, brought up his protective side. Something he had grown to feel for Charlie, but after Ben had died, he had made a silent promise to his friend, he would watch out for her in any way he could. It was good to throw his arms around her again, to give her a hug knowing she was back with them again.

Aaron had watched Miles sitting on the porch steps night after nigt, a bottle of whiskey in his hands, starring in the dark. He knew Miles had been waiting for Charlie.

 _'I know Mom...listen, I wanted him dead, I did almost kill him. But then he...'_  She struggled, trying to find the right words for something she was not understanding completely herself.

Rachel did not let her finish, her voice hard.

_'And you really think he is here to help? Are you really that stupid to come back with him?'_

Her mother's punch hit home, Charlie felt anger rising up in her. She did not expect their first moments to be exactly easy, but her mother was not even willing to listen to what she had been through. Hear her story, validate her emotions and what strength it took her to make the decision to come home again, to help them, to help her after she saw her mother's name on that bounty. To push all her own emotions to the side.

She felt blown away by the fact that she was not even willing to listen, that her words did not matter, anger battled with bitter disappointment. Disappointment and hurt. She felt invisible. Small. And she hated it both.

Silence filled the room until she could hear voices downstairs, Miles and another men she could not identify. The voices had stopped abruptly when there was a shot booming through the Mill. Without thinking, she immediately grabbed her weapon and rushed back downstairs. Monroe and Miles were shouting.

There was a man on the floor, a bullet in his back. She looked at Miles, at the man who had to be Fry, lying dead before her, and then she looked at Monroe. She knew it had been him, who took the shot.

Monroe looked at them with wide wild blue eyes, and by the look in his eyes she could see he really thought he did what had to be done here. Monroe looked at Miles and then at her. A look filled with anger and doubt. His eyes searched for her.

After that, Miles and Monroe had stayed behind. Miles telling her to get some sleep and go back with her mom and Aaron.

And now, at the end of this impossible day she found herself at her grandfathers home. Her grandfather gave her a warm welcome, but after that, Charlie had not said a word to her mother, who had not spoken to her either.

Charlie just wanted one thing. She wanted, and  _needed_  to be alone. She had found in a small bedroom upstairs. The curtains were flowing in a nightly breeze.

She was not the same person she was when she left Willoughby, but she was not sure where she was standing right now.

The walls of her bedroom seemed to be crashing around her, it made her chest feel constricted. She was turning to her other side. She should be able to find some comfort, relax her tensed and aching body. She really should.

But instead, she felt restless.

Restless and aware that Monroe's silhouette was not in the dark with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I will publish another chapter soon, thanks for all your kind reviews for last chapters! Love from Love


	4. So much more

 

**So much more**

Charlie watched how Monroe approached her. His hands and feet were chained. He was moving slowly, watched by the crowd. The torches held up by Texan guards where lighting up his face.

This is what she wanted. This is what would bring her some form of peace. This is what justice looked like, right? This is what had kept her going for so many months. Monroe dead. Gone. It had been her mantra for so long.

But when she looked into his eyes, realising that in less than half an hour, there would be no more Monroe in her world, the realisation was pressing heavy on her chest.

He stopped in front of her. She did not look away. His eyes on her but also far away. Hollow.

 _'Take care of your uncle, kid,'_ His voice low, hollow, empty. Gentle.

His words, his final words, to her.

So much words still unspoken. Later would never come for them. She never expected him to talk to her. Not here, not now. Part of her wanted to reach out for him, reach out for all the pain she saw in his eyes. Wanted to reach out for the piece of him that was Bass. She had to compose herself with everything she had not to move.

And then the moment was over, Monroe walked on. Heavy doors closed with a deafening sound.

* * *

**_Earlier that day_ **

Charlie felt how the cold water in her face woke her up, washing away the night. There was a set of fresh clothes in her closet, and she welcomed the feeling of clean fabric against her skin. She choose a blue jeans and a purple tank top.

Outside the window, she could hear the sounds of the town waking up. In the last couple of days her mother had not even made an attempt to talk to her, to give her a chance to talk about everything that was lingering in her.

Charlie had tried again, after their reunion in the old Mill, but when she noticed her mother was still not moving away from her  _'are you really that stupid for bringing Monroe bac_ k' , she had stopped, shoved it all deep down.

She sat on her bed, and strapped on her boots. She couldn't think of anything more to do that would keep her from walking downstairs. With dread she walked down the wooden stairs and into the kitchen. Her mother was sitting at the kitchen table. The moment she walked in she realised that today would not be different.

Her grandfather noticed the tension. When Charlie put the little tea bag in the warm water she felt the passive agressive tension from her mother. Her grandfather asked about it. But neither Rachel or she was ready, or willing to explain.

She left the cup of warm tea she just made on the kitchen counter and walked out, ignoring her mother, making her way into town.

Charlie had spent a lot of time away from her grandfather's house. She talked a lot to Aaron to catch up, enjoying his company and his irony that was so like Aaron. She helped out wherever she could around town. She needed to stay busy. Busy so she would not think about the fact that she hadn't seen Monroe for a couple of days.

His face showed up in her thoughts, memories from their time on the road waiting for her. He was so close, and yet she could not bring herself to go to him. Talk to him. She still was not ready, but a part of her wanted to thank him for the things he had done for her.

She felt so torn still, that she told herself to wait. Another time, she repeated in her head. Soon. Later.

She was relieved that at least Miles seemed to understand why she brought Monroe back. She knew he was bringing Monroe food and checked on him. She knew this because she had heard her mother fighting with Miles over and over about this, when they thought she was not around. It made her feel less alone when she heard how Miles was trying to make her mother understand how much they needed Monroe if they were ever going to beat them.

She knew Miles was conflicted as well, when it came to Monroe. But after all, it was Miles that taught her to keep going and doing what had to be done. They did not have to talk about it, she and Miles understood each other. There was more at stake here then their personal feelings, lives were at risk. And neither of them would stand at the side line and just watch it all happen.

And now, on this seemingly uneventful day she walked through the main street. She needed to run some errands. The town bell was ringing, pulling her out of her own thoughts. The town gate opened, and with a shock she realised that it were the Texans rolling in, Rangers along with the Patriots. Together. She recognised Truman, sitting next to a man who she did not know.

She knew her uncle and Monroe had framed the scene at the old mill, after Monroe had taken one of his impulsive and unpredictable decisions to shoot Fry, so Texas could do nothing else then declare war on the Patriots. That had been the plan. She was still processing what was unfolding before her eyes when she heard the rattle of a cage on a wagon.

There was a man sitting in the cage, his back still towards her. A jolt of recognition in her stomach. Dark messy curls, the lines of his broad shoulders she knew by heart.

Her mouth went dry, her heartbeat picked up. And as the cage rolled by, disbelieve, a wave of panic. The man in the cage was Monroe. They had put him there like some animal. His hands tied up, resting on his knees. He looked smaller then she wanted him too. She had not even noticed she stopped breathing for a moment.

Her eyes would not let go of him anymore, even if she wanted to, she couldn't.

And for a moment his eyes found her.

For a moment it was just them.

It was hard for her to understand what was in his look. His normally so blue eyes had turned so dark. His face looked worn, the lines on his face deep.

She could feel his eyes burning into her.

He then pulled his eyes away from hers and stared at the floor of the cage again.

Charlie stared at the wagon, the sounds of the wagon slowly fading, as the wagon rolled by.

* * *

Bass felt the hard steel bars of the cage in his back, as they rolled into town. He felt the staring while he was rolled into Willoughby like some damn animal.

The past couple of days had been days of waiting for those damn Texans to show up. Miles had doubted his plan, again, but experience told him he knew they just had to wait. In the meantime he had found another Patriot and he had asked him some questions. It took some pressure, but they guy had broken fast and gave him a shitload of information.

He was surprised Miles had showed up frequently to bring him food. Spending time with him still felt awkward, but so familiar at the same time. It reminded him of before.

He hadn't seen Charlie since the night at the old mill, and he almost expected her to show up with Miles. Walking in behind Miles, with her back straight, her eyes fierce with deep and clear blue, the swing of her hips in her step that was so very much Charlie. But then he reminded himself that she had no reason in hell to see him. No reason in hell to want to see him. Their weeks on the road were over. In the past.

He had focussed again on the food before him, roasting on top of a fire when he had heard something crash in through the window. He had reacted as fast as he could, but when the explosion hit him, disorientation had crashed all over over him. After a few seconds rage pumped through his body, as he shoved the doors open, wanting to take on everyone who would wait there for him.

A group of patriots were holding him at gunpoint, and he had known he was screwed, big time. He had tried to fight them off, but they had him pinned down in the fucking dirt in no time.

Only after three man held him down, Truman had dared to walk over to him, his face smug, his walk arrogant. Coward bastard.

_'On behalf of the USA government, and the sovereign nation of Texas, you, Sebastian Monroe, are under arrest.'_

He had almost sounded giddy,  _he was having himself some fun_ , Bass thought to himself. Arrogant son of a bitch. After that, a feeling of numb had washed over him, he had surrendered. It was the same feeling he had when he fought and drank his way through his days, back in Vegas. The loathing and wanting do disappear in a whole lot nothing came back and kept him company as that one friend that would never the hell leave him alone.

The cage was rolling further into town. Bass looked up and looked in the face of Miles and Rachel, the two of them standing at the side of the sandy main road. And ten he noticed her. Her blonde hair flowing around her, moving a little bit in the wind, purple top on golden skin. He had expected to see coldness in her, he had expected to see a face with relieve.

The big monster that was Sebastian Monroe finally captured before her eyes.

But instead he saw something else, he saw an intensity in her eyes he never noticed before when she looked at him. It was too much. He had to look away from her, he could not take this, not from her.

He lowered his head and tried desperately not to think about what he had seen in her eyes.

* * *

Charlie stood in the crowd that was cheering for the man she learned was the leader of Texas, Carver, the rangers and Truman. After they had lead Monroe into the jail building, the Texans had  _not_  declared war to the patriots. They did however worked together and had captured and arrested Sebastian Monroe.

And now, she had to listen to the crowd cheering even harder when he was talking about the trail that was waiting for Monroe.

_'...and if Sebastian Monroe is found guilty, by the power of Texan law, he won't live to see another sunrise.'_

Charlie had problems feeling her legs, she had to remind herself to stay put and not to react when she heard Carver speak. She pushed her fingernails in the palm of her hands to control herself.

Charlie watched how Miles' face grew dark with concern and then she turned her attention to her mother's face. There was something in her eyes that made Charlie's stomach flip, a hint of something that almost borderlined with excitement combined with a nervous twitch around her lips. It made her nauseous.

After the speech, when everyone moved on and the square emptied, Charlie walked to Miles, while Rachel had walked with something in her eyes that had made Charlie even more sick to her stomach. Her mother had disappeared. She saw how Miles was counting the guards in his head, scanning the building where they knew they held Monroe.

 _'I count ten, maybe twelve guards in the front, another five more at least in the back_.'

 _'Miles, that's too many, are you sure?'_  She knew it was too many for the both of them to take on, but she found herself hoping her uncle would not walk away from this anyway.

 _'Now that the Patriots are in bed with the Texans, we need him_.' He paused and walked on with firm steps.

_'We need to get him out'._

She knew Miles was right, they needed Monroe. But the willingness to get him out, had so much more meaning to her than needing him for this fight. She realised when she walked next to Mile. It was about so much more. She let the feeling in.

_It was about so much more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As you might have noticed, there first chapters will be published quickly, I am planning the new ones already! Love from Love


	5. Pull into darkness

**Pull into darkness**

It had gotten dark and Charlie was sitting next to Miles. Their backs resting against the small wall on the top of a building. They just saw how Monroe was moved from his the small jail to the bank of the little town. Heavily guarded.

 _'Miles, why the bank?'_  She was looking at her uncle for answers.

_'Because it has a god damn vault.'_

_'So, how are we going to get him out?'_  Before Miles answered, Charlie already knew the answer. They didn't.

 _'We are not. There is only one way in, one way out. And they have that covered. Getting him out of prison is one thing, but a bank job is a whole other story,_ ' Miles sighed.  _'No, no way.'_

Charlie felt a feeling of defeat creeping up on her. She had seen her uncle do impossible and a whole lot of stupid impossible things since she got to know him. Hearing him say this was impossible made her heart miss a beat. There was a moment of silence. Charlie's mind was racing.

 _'It doesn't make sense, why would they move him now?'_  Charlie thought out loud. It was the same question that was on Miles' mind.

And slowly she was connecting the dots, as was Miles. He stared straight ahead and shook his head a little. He then turned his eyes to Charlie. They knew. There was only one person who knew they were considering getting Monroe out. For the both of them, the realisation was like a punch in the stomach, each in their own way.

They walked back to the house in silence, Charlie saw the hurt and anger going through Miles. The silence between them was heavy. His walk more intense then usually. It hurt her to see him this way. They found her mother in the kitchen, her back towards them.

 _'Did you do it Rachel?'_  Miles sounded agitated, coming right to the point.

 _'Do what?'_  Her voice sharp. The fake innocence of her voice made Charlie skin crawl.

 _'I don't know Rachel, maybe tip them off to a jailbreak?'_  Irritation combined with sarcasm coloured his words .

 _'Damn right I did,'_  Rachel spat out those words, challenging Miles when she turned around to face them.

Charlie's eyes went from her mother to Miles.

 _'Well, than that's it. I don't know how to save this town without him. So when you figure it out, let me know,'_ he was almost yelling now.

It took him only a couple of steps to leave the room.

Charlie felt tears in her eyes, tears she was not willing to show to her mother. She knew Miles was not only upset because they needed Monroe. She knew that there was still a part in Miles that would stand up for his former best friend. She did not know why that affected her so much. She crossed her arms before her body, as a way to protect herself and keep her herself standing tall while turning her eyes back on her mother.

 _'If they had caught you, trying to get him out, they would have put a bullet in your head.'_ Rachel said.

Charlie felt anger, a cold one that constricted her. An anger that kept her words dead calm, when she felt like screaming. She couldn't believe her mother was using the whole caring for her daughter thing as her motivation right now, because she knew it was about him. It was always about Monroe, about her hate for him.

 _'If you really cared about me, then you would have asked me just once how I have been this whole time. But you never did. You never did.'_ Charlie felt the overwhelming need to say his name, to made sure her mother knew that he had been there for her, when no one else was.

_' For one thing, I almost died. You know who saved me?_

_'Monroe.'_

Rachel turned her face away from Charlie, an agitated look on her face.

_'But you do not want to hear that, do you? You are not willing to listen. Listen to me. You never have. You think you are smarter than everybody else. You think you are always right, even when you are dead wrong.'_

Charlie saw her words were finally making an impact, but she just could not stay in the same room as her mother anymore. She turned around and walked through the door. Miles was sitting on the porch, right before the house, his boots a couple of steps lower. She sat down next to him. Shoulder to shoulder. Sitting next to him calmed her down, just a little bit. They sat there for a long time in silence. Both their minds with the same person.

* * *

_'I hereby sentence you to die by lethal injection, to be administered at midnight.'_

Bass had heard the words resounding through the scarcely lit up court room, he had understood them but everything was turning into more grey. He had trouble swallowing, and felt an abandonment like never before. They moved him back into the vault of the bank, chains around his hands, waist and feet, the weight of them pulling him down even more in the void that been spinning around him.

He felt hollow, and had sunk down on the cold and dirty floor of the vault, his back resting against the cold and hard wall. His mind kept drifting to different thoughts, people and places. He knew that in a couple of hours it all would be over.

The pain, the hurt, the damage, the loss, all the things he had done and he could never change. Over, gone, nothingness waiting for him.

He had just watched Miles walk away, seen his best friend for the very last time. They had given him one more request and Bass had asked for Miles. It had been uncomfortable, noticing how Miles had kept his distance, but his eyes were saying something else. Bass almost saw something from his brother back. He almost craved to feel their connection one more time. They had shaken hands. There had been silence, tears in both of their eyes.

 _'We had some good times, didn't we?_ ' Bass'voice sounded raw but soft.

 _'Yeah, yeah, we did._ ' Miles' answer filled with tears.

Bass finally recognised that look, this was the Miles from years ago, the man he loved and trusted with his life. The man he had followed wherever their roads took them, with loyalty, without questions.

Bass watched how Miles had turned away. Nothing left to lose.

 _'I, I have a kid. I'm not talking about Shelly and the baby. I'm talking about me and Emma_.' It was one of the hardest things he ever had to say to Miles.  _'I'm sorry, it was when you and her were still...but it happened.'_

Miles had turned around.

 _'I have a son out there, I never met him'_  Regret and hurt were battling in his chest.  _'I want you to find him and I want you to take care of him.'_

_'Don't worry, your son is fine.'_

It took him moments to realise what Miles was talking about. Then it hit him like a bullet crashing into his skin. He knew, Miles knew. Emma got word to him. Miles hid him. Miles hid his son, his child.

 _'You what?'_  Betrayal and rage starting to build up from deep within his core.  _'You hid him? You know how I felt, after losing another child?!'_

_'Nobody was safe around you Bass, I had to.'_

Full realisation kicked in when Bass exploded. He wanted to launch himself at Miles, but the chains kept him in one place.

 _'How could you do that, you son of a bitch, h_ ow could you do that to me?!'

He had watched Miles walk away from him. Again. For the very last time.

And after that, there had been silence, Miles had walked away. Leaving betrayal behind. He sat there, losing every track of time. Not that time mattered anymore.

He let his mind drift to wherever it would go, losing himself in memories. Memories of Miles, when their friendship had been light, their lives full with possibilities and plans. He saw the face of Shelly, a smile around her lips, many years ago when his heart was still free to give love. To feel love. He thought about the child he never got to know, never got to love and never got to see grow up. Far away in a grave he had never visited again.

He saw Emma and thought about another child he would never know as his own. About his son who was living his life somewhere away from him. His blood, his family. He found himself back in his hometown again, back in the house he grew up in, the safeness of a family, of the people he loved and lost in the blink of an eye. His parents, his sisters, home.

And then his mind drifted somehow to Charlie. Just for one moment he could see her as she were standing before him in the darkness. His surroundings were fading away and Bass could see her standing in the morning sunlight, the morning of their last day on the road back to Willoughby. Her eyes open and soft, the wind playing with her hair, and one of her hands had brushed the hair out of her face. It was one of those rare little moments where had felt some kind of connection with her. She had touched something within him, something he could not bear to think about any longer, because it didn't matter. She would welcome his death, just like everyone else.

Tears were running down over his face, he could taste the salt on his lips. It didn't matter anymore, nothing mattered anymore.

He could hear somebody telling him to get up. He could feel his feet moving, but his body did not feel like his own anymore. People staring. A loaded silence was lingering through the town. Every step seemed to last forever. He vaguely registered the torches around him, feeling the light on his face.

And then he saw her. First he noticed the purple of her top, as a deep colour in the grey around him. Charlie. She was here. She was standing next to Aaron, and it were the only familiar faces he could see in the crowd. Charlie. He felt how he was slowing down when he had reached her. Her eyes intense, standing so very still, her shoulders straight, not leaving his eyes for one second.

He had not planned to talk to her, never expected her to be so close to her one more time. But there was something in her eyes he did not expect to find there. His words finding their way towards her.

 _'Take care of your uncle, kid.'_  It was a question and a goodbye to her, all in one.

He blinked slowly, looking into her eyes one last time.

Taking her in, all of her.

Charlie.

One sight of the last thing he gave a fuck about when standing between him and what would be next.

And then the moment was gone, he stepped inside the building, leaving her behind when the doors were closing behind him. He saw Rachel preparing his injection, the injection that would close the distance between life and death. He noticed how her father was standing close, how all eyes were on him. Everything else happened through a blur. He was strapped down, saw Rachel's face.

' I am sorry,' He said those words to her and to nobody, to everybody.

The sting of the needle in his arm. I am sorry. The last thing he noticed was a deep pull into greyness until there was nothing more.

His body was heavy until that heaviness faded. It was like his mid slowly stopped working, as the world around him stopped. It did not matter, not anymore. It would end here.

* * *

_He once had said, if you didn't have bad luck,you didn't have any luck at all. Well, w_ _asn't that some fucking joke right now as one darkness was replaced by another one._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you guys for reading and reviewing, thank you so much! Love from Love


	6. awake

Charlie stood in the middle of the town square, silence surrounding her, in a sea of other people. Aaron was standing right beside her. He did not have to be there, but he had not left her side. She was not able to move, taking in the silence. And then, the deep sound of the town bell was finding its way through the night. The deep sound telling her the news of a final goodbye.

And every time a new wave of sound from the bell reached her, she could feel emotions wash over her, more and more.

It's finally over.

He's gone.

Sebastian Monroe is gone.

At the same time she remembered  _him,_  she remembered how he had saved her life, his reassuring and strong hand on her shoulder when she was not able to pull away from that nightmare. She remembered how many years ago he had been a part of her family when she was so much younger. But what she remembered most of all, were his eyes.

It's over.

He's gone.

Bass is gone.

She would never get the opportunity to thank him. Thank him for that one night in Pottsboro. She would never learn how much more was in him, only hints of a promise was what stayed behind. They had spent weeks and weeks on the road together.

And only now he was gone, Charlie allowed herself feel that something had changed in the weeks she spent on the road with Monroe. Her feelings had changed, and had become so much more complex and tangled. And then tears filled her eyes. She looked at the ground, every muscle in her body had tensed up, desperately trying not let the wave of emotions crush her.

 _Take care of your Uncle, kid._  There they were again, his last words. She did not know if his words or the raw and low softness in his voice was what touched something within her.

 _Take care of your uncle Kid. Miles_. She had to find Miles.

* * *

Miles found his way to the little town bar. The bar was empty and silent, and he welcomed them both. A glass of whiskey in his hands, the bottle not far away. He drank it, but did not taste it. He only wanted the numbness, but this night it did not work. He just had to say goodbye to his brother. How much he tried to put distance between them since the night that he tried to end Bass' life, the night he had left his whole life and had stopped being a general in the Republic he build with him, how much he tried, he couldn't.

He had shaken hands with Bass one more time, looked him in the eyes one more time. He had not been able to understand that this would be the last time, the very last time. He knew, but he was not able to understand.

Then he had walked away and Bass told him about Emma. About his son. And he had felt anger, anger for everything that stood between them. He had felt powerless that he still cared so much about Bass. And he had not been able to help himself. His last words to Bass were ones that brought Bass to his knees. It should have made him feel better, revealing to Bass he knew all along about Emma and his son, but it didn't.

He tried to hide in this bar, but when he heard the sound of the bell, the sound reaching the whole town and sending it's deadly message, there was no more to hide. He felt how tears blurred his vision and he tried to desperately hold on to the glass before him. Memory's of their childhood, of their time together, the good finally finding its way through all the hurt and bad were what took over. It could have been so very different. He pushed that thought out, the only thing left was the grieve for his little brother. Because that's what they had been, and it had never changed through time, through all of it. They were family, brothers.

Charlie knew where to look for Miles. She had to find him. When she entered the bar she immediately saw him at a table. Whiskey in his hands, his eyes distant and filled with tears and hurt. It broke her heart to see him like this. She walked over and stood by his side, giving him time.

He did not look at her, but only raised his left hand from the table towards her.

She took his hand with both of hers and held his for a while. Her eyes filling with tears as well, tears she was still stubbornly trying to push away. She was trying to give him some comfort, and his hand, their unspoken connection gave her the smallest of comfort right now, comfort she needed so much.

' _I'm around if you need me,'_ His hand still in hers. She waited for Miles to nod ever so slightly before she let go and walked out the bar.

She walked without thinking about her direction. She reached the garden of an empty house and let her body slide against the wall. She could feel the heat of the long gone summer day still in the wall, but inside she felt coldness creeping in. One tear broke throug. The another Her body started shaking. And then she cried with so much force she was almost not able to breathe anymore. He was gone. Bass was gone.

It was the first morning light that woke her up. Her back still against the wall, her head resting on her knees, her body filled with a hollowness. She knew she had to get up _. Go home, go home_  was what sounded in her head.

When she found her way home her mother was waiting on the porch steps before the house. Charlie saw her and had no energy left for another battle with her.

Rachel got up and walked towards her. Charlie avoided her eyes.

' _Come with me, Charlie.'_

' _Why the hell would I want to do that?'_   Her voice was hoarse with exhaustion.

' _Because we are going to Miles,'_ Rachel's paused, _' and he is with Monroe.'_

Charlie stopped. Looked at her mother, not being able to find any words. For a moment she was back in the room of her grandfather's house the night before, where she had tried one last time to explain to her mother what Monroe did for her, that they needed him, what it would do to Miles. She knew her mother had listened, but the distance in her eyes had taken away her last hope, if she had any at all. She had asked her to spare his life, drug him instead of filling him up with deadly poison. But she knew it was pointless, hopeless. Angry, but even more defeated, she had left the room, leaving her mother behind, realising it was going to happen and there was nothing she could do.

Coming back to the early morning they reached the town walls and kept walking, her mother choosing a small path next to a field heading north.

She watched how her mother had started walking towards an abandoned house not far from the town. Charlie followed her in a shared silence.

When she walked up the stairs, she realised she  _would_  see him again. She was bracing herself for what she would feel, not sure how to act all of a sudden. When she opened the door, she saw Miles standing close to the bed where Monroe was laying. The room had high windows, and dus was floathing in the sunlight that streamed in. There was an old tv that was used as a table. There was a small bed. Monroe's face was turned to Miles. Miles was trying to talk to Bass, who was still groggy and spaced out from the insane amount of drugs in his system, making him look dead for a while to everyone else who needed to believe that.

' _Look at you, you missed me. You are my best friend,'_   Monroe said with a genuine smile on his face. His voice soft, grinning from ear to ear and his eyes towards Miles were softer than she ever seen them.

' _Alright, that's enough Bass,'_  Miles answered him. Charlie could see a smile on her uncle's face. Cearly making him uncomfortable.

And just for a moment, she was able to see some of their friendship from many years ago. A smile from her lips to her eyes appeared on her face. She had not been smiling so genuinely for so lang. But seeing her uncle with Monroe, a Monroe she had never experienced before, made her warm up to the guys.

She then turned to her mother.

' _Why did you do it?'_

' _Because we need him. And you asked me to,'_ Rachel spoke those words slowly.

She had listened. Her mother finally listened to her. Miles watched their way, surprise on his face when he realised it had been Charlie who asked Rachel to do this. Charlie knew one day he would talk to her about it, but not today. It was still too fresh. Mathesons needed their time to stew on this.

There was no way they could leave Monroe alone in his state, but they could not all stay. Things had to appear normal for the people in town, for her grandfather. And although Rachel made a decision to spare his life, taking care of him was one step too far, Miles and Charlie only had to look in her eyes to know that. Charlie nodded to Miles.

' _I will stay here,'_ Charlie offered.

' _You sure, kid?'_ Miles was looking at his niece, not being completely sure how he felt about this, at all.

' _I'm sure Miles. Look at him,'_ nodding at Monroe's direction with a smirk,  _'nothing I can't handle.'_

Her voice was tougher then she felt. She was not afraid to handle Monroe, but her own feelings were something entirely else. Her voice giving the message towards her mother that there would be no debate. Miles looked at his stubborn niece, there was no way in hell he would win this argument. And with Bass high from the drugs and not even able to lift up his own hand, he decided it would be okay.

And then, after what felt like forever, she was finally alone with him. She had spent so many weeks alone with him on the road, but this time she was not sure what to do. She was too aware of his bare shoulders, above the blanket that covered the rest of his body. She was too aware of his chest, slowly going up and down with his breathing. She followed the lines of his chest to the lines of his neck. But what struck her more was the complete change in energy, the normally so harsh lines in his face had relaxed. It was like a completely different man was laying in the bed in front of her.

' _Miles.. Miles?'_  He had fallen asleep and had woken up, confused and unfocused.

She took a couple of steps forward, reaching out for a chair that was on her right and pulled it closer to his bed.

' _Miles is gone for a while._ ' She took a deep breath _, 'It's me, Charlie'._

Charlie saw how his face was slowly turning to the sound of her voice. His movements so uncoordinated, missing its usual aim, she saw him struggling to focus. But than his eyes found her.

' _Charlie,'_  his voice low, speaking slowly. Charlie watched how he took her in, taking his time. It made her completely too aware of herself. He never looked at her this way. She saw his face change again, a grin forming around his lips.

' _Charlie,'_  he said her name one more time before drifting off again. Hearing him say her name like this almost brought a shiver to her spine.

She stayed close to him, leaving the room only to go find some food and water her mother and Miles had left behind for her. She was in the kitchen eating some old bread and dried meat when she heard his voice upstairs. There was a hint of panic in it. She dropped the food and rushed upstairs. When she entered the room, he was still out, asleep but fighting a dream. His body was restless, his expression one of fear and pain and he was mumbling words she could not understand.

Once it would have given her satisfaction to see him hurt, to see him struggle but that was before. She realised that he was very much still alive, but he had died in a way. She realised that he  _had_  woken up, but paralysed by the drugs in a coffin deep in the ground. Confused, cold and darkness around him.

She closed the distance between them and put one hand on his bare shoulder.

' _Monroe, wake up,'_  Her voice firm but with gentleness,. that took even herself by surprise.

He did not respond, only fighting more, panicking more. At that moment, she realised she wanted to reach out for him. Help him through this. She moved his hand from his shoulder to the side of his face, she felt his beard, his skin.

' _Bass, it's okay. It's me, Charlie, wake up.,'_

She realised she used his name for the first time, and it felt surreal and normal at the same time.

And then finally she felt him relax, the mumbling stopped, his face relaxed again. It was like hearing his name made him pull out of the darkness. She took a step back, her hand leaving the warmth of his face behind. Just when Charlie wanted to sit down again, his hand appeared from under the cover of his blanket. It reached out for hers. It was like the world moved in a slow motion. She did not know where this came from, that she had this in her when it came to this man. But the only thing Charlie could do was reach out for his and hold it when they were being close together in silence. His strong and rough hand between hers.

' _It's okay Bass... you are okay,'_    This time it was only a whisper when she watched him fall asleep again. He was asleep, but her feelings for him finally were starting to be very much awake.


	7. drugs and jeans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you may have notcied, the season is slowly changing, because things between Charlie and Monroe are changing...Thank you all for reading, I am happy you are here :)

**Drugs and Jeans**

He did not know where his body ended and the darkness began. Then there had been splitting up that darkness, breaking the complete dark. Sand falling down on his body. Sounds above him, getting closer to him, finally reaching him. His instinct kicked in. He tried to move. Only his fingers obeyed that order. He was able to open his eyes just enough to see a figure above him. He knew he should recognise the shape, but he couldn't. It felt like his body was pulled into the ground. 

 _'Don't try to move.'_  

Darkness washed over him again.

* * *

Bass heard the sound of voices around him. Slowly realising that he apparently was still very much the hell alive. Before he could think about that fucked up thought even more, his focus was already gone, losing the thought to another.

Opening his eyes sluggishly, he noticed the light in the room, almost flowing around him, something soft around his body, feeling weird to his bare skin.

_'Bass,'_

He knew this voice.

_'Hey, Look at me.'_

He tilted his head towards the voice he knew so well.

He looked directly into Miles' face. Reminding him off the time when Miles was sitting next to his bed, when he had woken up in a hospital, after he got knocked of his feet in an unexpected attack on the road when they were on a mission together.

 _'Hey buddy,'_  Bass noticed how his own voice came from very far away. And then, he was aware of another voice, he knew so well.

_'How much did you give him?'_

_'Enough. Enough to drop a horse, to make him look dead.'_

He was almost able to put the right faces to the voices, he was almost able to try and understand what they were saying, when Miles started talking again, pulling him away yet again. He turned his head back to face his brother.

_' How are you feeling? Can you walk?'_

Bass had to think about those questions. Miles looked serious but he knew better. He knew his best friend.

 _'Look at you, you are happy to see me.'_  He felt a something that resembled happiness washing over him, a smirk around his face.

 _'What?'_  Miles was doing a fucking bad job at hiding his amusement as well as he would like right now.

_'You missed me. You are my best friend.'_

_'Okay, that's enough Bass,_ ' Miles wished Bass would stop with this mushy shit. Miles noticed Rachel was not amused, to say the least, but Charlie had a smirk smile on her face and was looking at Bass.

Bass tried his hardest to remember something so damn important. It had been on his mind right before...right before...everything stopped.

_His son. He remembered his son, somewhere out there._

_'Miles, you have to tell me,'_  His voice low. He tried to gesture to Miles to come closer, but his arm barely left the bed. Waiting for him to come closer, wanting to keep this between the both of them.

_'You have to tell me where my son is.'_

_'One thing at a time.'_  Was Miles his only answer.

Bass wanted to argue but his mind was already drifting off again, other voices reaching him again.

_'Why did you do it?'_

_'Because we needed him, and because you asked me to'._

Bass heard the words, observing that they mattered, he just did not know why. He let his body pull him into sleep.

When he woke up, his first thought was that he had to talk to Miles again about his son. He started calling out for his name, when he realised after what felt for fucking forever that Miles was not standing where he was before.

_'Miles is gone for a while. It's me, Charlie.'_

_'Charlie, '_ He mentioned her name out loud to make him help remember.

Bass followed the sound of the familiar voice he had heard before and turned his head. The image of clear blue eyes on his mind before he saw her. There she was. Sitting not too far away from him. A golden tan on her skin, her smooth skin, smooth shoulders, her blond hair flowing around her face and eyes that looked at him curiously.

_Did she always look like this? Fuck._

_'Charlie,_ ' He said her voice one more time, not being sure if he said it out loud or not. She was here. He knew on some level he was staring, but his mind had a will on his own. He couldn't care less.

The brightness in the room around him had faded and now it was Shelly that was sitting across from him. Smiling. Smiling until he noticed a dot of blood in the middle of her stomach, covering her more and more. How much he tried to reach her, how much he wanted to hold her, hang on to her before she left him again, he couldn't. It was like his body was paralysed and invisible chains locked him to the bed. Their child. Shelly, he had to reach her. He had to save her. Panic set in, old sharp hurt made him his priosner, fear of losing her all over again.

_'Wake up, Monroe.'_

The voice touched the lines of his dream. He still desperately tried to reach Shelly, who's face had turned into Emma's now, her eyes hollow, staring into the air above her.

_'Bass, wake up. It's me, Charlie.'_

He heard his name, he heard his name in a way people never used to talk to him anymore. There was reassurance. He felt how the images finally started to fade away, releasing their cold grasp around him.

Charlie. She was close. He felt himself reaching out, reaching out into nothing. Not realising he was reaching out for her, until her hands found their way around his hand. Her skin was soft and warm. Her fingers covering his skin.

Charlie watched how he had calmed down, how his strong hand relaxed in hers. The sheer agony on his face disappearing. His breathing evened out until he was back to sleep. She slowly guided his arm back to the mattress. His hand leaving hers. She sat in silence, just watching him every now and then.

She got up and walked to the window and opened it, the last warmth of the day flowing inside with a small breeze. She felt the breeze touching her face and welcomed it.

This was Sebastian Monroe,  _the_  Sebastian Monroe . A man she had believed capable of nothing more than destruction, death and control. Today she had seen a different side of him, she had seen some of the old friendship between him and Miles. She had seen a lighter version of the man she spent so many time with on the road back to Willoughby. She had seen his agony and fear.

She realised things had changed, but how she truly felt and where she stood in all this, was something she still had to figure out. Charlie could still feel the roughness of his skin, his warmth, his hand in hers.

She did not know how long she had stood there but the light was changing slowly. Her mouth felt dry, and she realised she had nothing to drink since this morning. She headed for the kitchen. She walked away from the window, and was almost out of the door, when she realised he was awake. She turned around, just in time to see Bass his eyes lingering somewhere around her hips. A smirk around his face.

_'Those jeans are working for you, Charlie,'_

Charlie felt her body freeze in surprise, felt how the blood rushed to her face. Did he just?

 _'Seriously, Monroe?'_  She tried to go for the casual are you kidding me tone in her voice.

' _I am always very serious Charlotte,_ ' teasing in his words.

She tried her best to give him a pissed off look, but something told her she failed miserably. Because he was still looking at her with that stupid amount of charm in his smile. A genuine one, she never saw before, that stirred something within her. A smile that made it almost impossible for her not to return the gesture.

Almost though, her Matheson stubbornness coming to her rescue.

 _'Miles will be here soon, Monroe. Maybe you can say something nice about his shirt,'_  she snapped in his direction.  _'Now, get some sleep,'_

' _You are very bossy, you know that?'_ Bass almost pouted.

' _And you are being a pain in the ass, Monroe.'_

She could see the amusement in his eyes before she turned away from him.

She walked out of the room, a sigh, a roll of her eyes, with her head shaking, and started to walk down the stairs.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a small smile around her lips. Her cheeks still warmer than normal. She walked outside the house. It was almost sunset, the air filled with the sound of crickets.

She sat dawn on the steps of the porch, waiting for Miles. Thinking about what the hell just happened upstairs, and more importantly, how the hell he got under her skin. Did he truly think about her in the way she just saw in his eyes? She shook her head, more firmly this time. This was Monroe, a drugged Monroe. These were the drugs in his system talking. She would not fall for one of his womanizing lines, she called herself to order. Drugs. That was all.

And then, all of a sudden, a big explosion came from within the town, making the ground beneath her feet tremble, yanking her out of her thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will publish chapter 8 tomorrow or at the end of the week, I am working on my other stories as well... Love from Love


	8. Batman

She could see grey smoke filling the air above town, somewhere above the centre. She left her thoughts about him, the house, and him, behind for now. Her heartbeat, just like her steps, were fast. Charlie walked into the chaos of a building blown to pieces, screaming that came from everywhere. She tried her best to help with the wounded, and felt relieve when she saw Aaron and Cynthia were amongst the people who had survived. Cynthia looked hurt, but not too seriously. Aaron had a protecting arm around her, trying to calm her down.

The next day Charlie found herself in the kitchen of her grandfather's house with her mother, Miles and Aaron. She tried to understand what her mother was telling her about the nano-technology, about the fact that Aaron was in danger of what he knew about the nano.

Her mom had met with a mon called Horn. He was hunting down knowledge, his hunger for that information had took him here, to Willoughby, and he was slowly connecting the dots. Aaron was a part of those dots.

Her mother was emphasising Aaron had to leave town for his own was quickly decided that he and Cynthia, Aaron would not leave without her, would join Monroe outside the town for now. Earning her mother and Miles a  _how about no_  look from Aaron.

 _'Monroe will be thrilled like a schoolgirl on Christmas morning.'_  Miles said with grin on his face.

Rachel shooting him a cold look. Charlie noticed how her body jumped a little in a way it never had done before, when she heard Monroe's name. It was a new feeling, when she tried to focus on the map of the town before them, as they tried to think about the best escape route for Aaron and Cynthia to take. A route that would take them to Monroe.

* * *

Eventually they had found a way out for Aaron and Cynthia, using the tunnels under the town. They had waited for the cover of darkness before they had moved.

When Charlie made it back to their rendezvous point she walked in on her mother sitting down, in the dark. Miles standing next to her, shock on her mother's face. Charlie looked at Miles for answers. His eyes were dark. Charlie knew this look, the look that meant trouble. Her mother started to cry without a sound and Charlie took one step towards her.

 _'Mom, what is wrong.'_  Charlie tried.

 _'Kid, I am sorry to tell you this,'_  Miles looked away from her _, 'But your grandfather, he's with them. He's with the patriots. He was ready to hand over Aaron on a silver plate.'_

 _'What?'_  Charlie looked to Miles, and then back to her mother. Rachel nodded. Charlie realised that's why the first plan of her grandfather being the one getting Aaron and Cynthia out of town had backfired. Neither her mother or Miles had wanted to talk much when they had came back and said they had to go for plan B. Charlie felt betrayed.

It was like another part of her old world, with her old faith and values, crumbled down within seconds.

She always thought about her family as the ones who she could trust and that it always would be like that, but lately that view changed, one experience at the time. The actions of her father, her mom, now her grandfather. Her old world, with black and white, with right and wrong, started to change in ways she was only slowly trying to understand.

They sat there in silence, Rachel crying incontrollably, when Miles eventually told them they had to move.

Their new hiding place was the old and abandoned swimming pool of the town, the irony causing Charlie to think about another swimming pool, on another day, with  _him._  Her life was moving fast again, the moments alone with Monroe, feeling already far away. For a moment she could feel his hand in hers again. Feel his eyes on her hips. After she let those images in, the irritation that she kept remembering those moments, was not far away.

Later that day, Miles had gotten his hand on a patriot,  _and asked him nicely, which meant he beat the hell out of this guy until he finally told them what he needed to know,_  and he had gahtered intel about a meeting in town. Because Charlie desperately needed ari and space she offered to go. She made sure she stayed out of sight when she heard Truman's loud and arrogant voice with a disgusting pride that it was Miles Matheson that was responsible for the explosion from days before. As a retaliation for the execution of his former leader. She got sick to her stomach when she realised they had staged that bomb, sacrificing lives. Using Monroe to become Miles'motivation for this.

Charlie felt a jolt in her stomach because of the person who was standing next to Truman. She looked directly at her grandfather. She wanted to turn away but she couldn't. She could not believe his words, when it was his time to speak. Accusing Miles and Aaron for the horrible act of attacking the town. Asking the people in town who trusted him, to look out for them, so they could be brought to justice. Seeing her grandfather, part of her family, the man she loved and trusted, side to side with Truman, made her cold from the inside. Justice, her grandpa who was with them for years, talked about  _justice._

* * *

Charlie  _was_  trying to understand why he did this. But she was so dissapointed. They, quite literally, grabbed Gene from the streets and brought him back to their safe house. He was sitting in front of them, looking absolutely horrible. Miles was asking the questions they all wanted to ask. And then slowly, the pieces of the puzzle started to fit. It started with a desperate need to help, help the people in town through horrible diseases that came back to the world without any power. In exchange for him assisting the patriots he would get medicine that would help many.

 _'Before I realised who they were, it was already too late,'_  Gene concluded his story. Tears in his eyes,  _'and when you came back to Willoughby, things started to get out of control fast. ' They were going to kill you, they threatened to kill you, to kill Charlie, if I did not help them in any way I could.'_

He looked at Rachel, trying to reach her.

 _'What was I supposed to do?'_  His voice fading away.

Their conversation continued from a distance, making The sense of betrayal with her. And then it hit her, she did not even have to ask.

It was her grandfather.

He had given away Monroe's position. There was no other possibility. She felt how her body froze with realisation. It took her everything she had to come back and follow the conversation again.

 _'Aaron?'_  Miles wanted to know.

 _'They have him, Horn has him_.' He paused,  _'It's already too late. Please get out of town, you should have been miles away by now,'_

 _'Not without Aaron, dad,_ ' Rachel said.

Suddenly Truman's voice was out there. They were ready to find a way out. Charlie's hand on her weapon. Gene stood by the door. With one look Charlie understood what her grandfather was going to do. He would stay behind to buy them much needed time, time so that they could make their escape.

Charlie looked back on more time, before following Miles in the darkness, bullets flying through the air, not knowing if she would ever see her grandfather again. Another night, another escape, more running, more bullets.

* * *

They did not find Aaron where Gene told them they would hold him. They did however find patriots on the ground, not dead, but no life in them too. Charlie had prepared herself for a fight, but not for this. They followed the trail of unconscious patriots inside, where Charlie tracked down the print of Aaron's shoe on the ground. He had been here. Miles noticed a passage at the back of their headquarters, and there was not much time to think about their options, when they noticed the patriots started to wake up, causing Miles to curse in silence.

The passage lead them under and away from the town and finally into the early morning light. If the previous scene had been eerie, the mist around them was not much better. There was something in the air that Charlie could not place. It was too silent, too much of something. To artificial.

Miles was moody as ever, more irritated than ever as he said something about more from Rachel's nano crap as they were surrounded by the mist lingering between trees. Sounds around them were clear and muffled at the same time.

She had found a lead on Aaron, but then the trail ended.

 _'Damn it, I lost the trail,_ ' Her eyes glued to the ground, She kept her voice down, but the sound still sounding too sharp through the mist.

 _'All right, well, find it.'_  Miles stood behind her.

 _'Miles, if you can do a better job, then please, go ahead,'_  She snapped back at him.

Miles sounded his normal self, but something was off. Charlie noticed how Miles his face was different, he looked paler. He didn't use his right hand the way he used to.

A noise behind them put her on high alert. Within seconds a couple of patriots were close, but it was nothing they couldn't handle. Charlie's hand went for her knife and it was a full hit when it reached the soon to be dead patriot in the chest. She saw how her mother struggled with a patriot, being able to win her fight with him, but not before his gun went off. The sound rumbling through the air.

Shouts from even more patriots, more trouble coming their way. They moved as fast as they could, until a new group of patriots blocked their way. Charlie froze, Miles standing next to her, her mother behind her. Just when her mind was racing to find a way out , she noticed a familiar sword, cutting through the patriots throat. And then another patriot dropped dead, his sword ripping through his stomach. His movements were so very sure, she immediately recognised them. She watched him , his eyes filled with concentrated rage.

The last patriot fell to the ground before them. But Charlie's eyes were not on the dead guy. They were on the man standing before her. His blue eyes pierced through the grey mist.

_'I'm Batman.'_

Monroe's voice was deep, and Charlie noticed the typical Monroe tone, the one soaked in being very pleased with just being, well, Monroe. She had no idea who Batman was, it was one of his references she never quite got. But this time, she didn't bother to even think about that. She let out a sigh of relieve, forgetting to send him her usual look of loathing.

The raw feeling of desire was flooding her body and she was not able to pull her eyes away from him. Unconsciously roaming his trained body with natural strenght with her eyes The lines of his neck, his shoulders, the exposed tanned skin of his sweaty chest above the line of his v-neck shirt , sword in his hand, his forearms tensed up, his body all hard and muscle.  _Monroe._

It was his voice that broke her away from her body's new pull towards him.

 _'Come on,'_  Monroe grunted, while he was already turning away from her, being the first who started to move. Charlie noticed how his body turned back a little towards her, quickly stretching an arm out to her, as an extra encouragement for them,  _for her_ , to follow, to get the hell out of here.

_'Go!'_

This time his eyes found hers for a moment. They were wide,stormy and focussed. This was not the man she met in a bed a couple of days ago. This was him. Focussed, ready for another kill, ready to fight his way out of here. But his eyes, there was something more. Aimed at her. Reaching out for her. A shock vibratng through her body and chest. When she started to follow him, he turned back around completely. Charlie ran right behind him, her mother and Miles not far away, as they found their way through the mist, the sounds of patriots shouting disappearing into the grey. Monroe close to her, his body moving with ease under the trees, his body moving, his shoulders flowing in a rythem just before her.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the Batman scene! Loved it! As you notice in this chapter, there was a lot from Charlie's point of view: everything that happened here lead to another break in the way she saw things before, it changed her thinking about the people around her and what is going on and what happened in her life. That will become part of her, and will change her way how she thinks about Monroe later in the story even more.
> 
> Thanks for reading, reviewing and following this story! Love from Love


	9. you came back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we go back to that one moment in that high school, we see more from Bass and...Charlie has a dream...a very intense one...  
> Thanks for the reviews for last chapter and so nice to see you here!

His body still felt like hell, and all Bass wanted was to get out of here, and find his kid.

His first and only thought was that Miles had to be fucking kidding him , when he had gotten word to him that he was going to be the one who had to babysit Staypuft and his girlfriend or whatever the hell she was.

So, here was. Stuck with Stay puft. The days before felt like a blur. He remembered Miles ,Rachel. Charlie. Somehow one of them had decided that his miserable life was not going to end with a lethal injection. With a flask of booze in his hand, which he gotten from Stayputf, he tried to find the answer which one of them had saved his ass.

He might have an idea, but the thought of her giving a damn whether he lived or died, was one hell of a joke. His hand went over his face, his hands craving more booze. He was supposed to meet them here, but there was still no sign of him. They were waiting on a damn boat in a boatyard just outside town where he had met Staypuft earlier this day. He fought of three kaki assholes, before he realised he actually needed to sit down, making him wonder how much of the damn drugs were still in his system.

When there was another attack from those assholes he decided he was completely done risking his own ass for a fucking nobody like Staypuft. Those patriots wouldn't kill Aaron, but he was not sure he could say the same thing about himself. And he swore, he needed, wanted, ached to find a part of him, his blood, out there.

He was done being ordered around,  _Hell_ , Miles hid his son long enough, he needed to find him. He did his part. He got up, while behind him both Staypuft and Cynthia were facing men in kaki, and moved into the forest behind him, on his way to Miles.

_Screw this, he was fucking out of here._

* * *

Charlie. The lush forms of her lips, her blue breaking through the mist. He had tracked them down, and once he had worked his way through those patriot assholes who were ready to make a move, she was standing right in front of him.

Her eyes on him, filled with relieve, and something else that fascinated him. Her lips had parted a little bit and he could not help but notice them for just a second. It wasn't the first time a thought occurred to him that should not be there in the first place. Fuck, she was Miles niece. Only thinking about what he just did could cause him to lose some body parts he really liked to Miles' sword.

That sobering thought snapped him right back to reality. They needed not to be here anymore, fast. When he growled at them to go, without even truly thinking it through, he stretched out an arm to her, to Charlie. Locking eyes with her for a moment, waiting on her to move and making sure was right behind him, before he turned around and his mind was back to focus on their way out.

* * *

They found a safe house. He had to listen to Miles giving him crap about leaving Stay Puft behind.  _To hell with that._  When Miles nodded to get out of hearing range from the woman, he showed him his arm. The infection was spreading through it. He could not believe his god damn ears when Miles told him that if he did not stay, he would never help him find his kid.

Miles looked like hell, and the moron needed a doctor. But here they were, apparently putting their asses on the line for Stay puft. The look on Miles'face told him there was no way in hell he would tell him were his son was, before this was over _. God, he was so sick of this._ Time was running out, and every fibre in his body screamed to get to him, to his son. But he new this stubborn moron, he knew him almost his whole life and even sick and miserable, Miles would not breake, would not change his mind.

Bass turned around, walked over to Rachel and Charlie, Rachel's eyes already waiting and piercing in her bitching way. Charlie's eyes more explorative.

 _'Let's go and find Staypuft.'_ He let another sight through his teeth.

* * *

Their search for Aaron lead them to an aboandoned school, the halls and classrooms deserted. Another haunting memory of a life long ago. Empty buildings, empty schools. The classrooms messy, drawings on the walls, maps still there as a silent reminder of what was before the blackout.

Charlie had no doubts anymore, something was seriously wrong with Miles. He was holding his right arm to his chest, a grimace on his face. When this was over, she wouldn't wait anymore, and confront him. Her uncle could be stubborn but hey, so could she.

For now, she focused on the task before them. They had split up, and of course, she had ended up on team Monroe. They were almost back to back, going through the east wing of the school, one classroom at a time when she whispered Aaron's name.

A sound from another hall reached them, and they both got out of sight as fast as they could. Monroe ended up on the other side of the hall. She sneaked into a locker room as she tensed up for whatever would come next. She locked eyes with Monroe. And that was the moment when she saw it in her eyes. No. There was a challenge in his eyes, combined with a dark wave. No. She tilted her head, her eyes locked with his. Before he actually moved she realised what he was doing. The asshole checking out. He shot one look at the door behind him, an old emergency exit sign above it, before he turned around, kicking the door open with one of his boots.

Charlie knew she had to think fast when footsteps and deep muffled voices were coming her way, voices and footsteps that obviously did not belong to her mothers or Miles. Her mind moved fast. The lockers. She squeezed her body into of them. Leaving just enough space in the semi dark for her and her own thoughts.

Arrogant selfish son of a bitch. All those weeks on the road from Vegas to Willoughby with him, she had waited and waited for him to screw up, so she could justify another attempt on his life. But he never did.

And at the exact moment she stopped wanting for him to screw up, when she let her guard down just a little, even saved his sorry ass from that execution, he screwed her over.

She was going to kill the son of a bitch, once she made it out of here in one piece.

* * *

Bass had looked at Charlie, when she had tilted her head to the left, giving him a questioning stare from the other side of the hall.

So after babysitting Aaron, he had found himself in another mess he fucking did not ask for. Surrounded by Mathesons, who had all tried to kill him at some point, risking his own ass because Miles, the asshole, had decided he had to jump through yet another hoop, before he would tell him where his son was. Hell no. Enough was enough, he was done. He was out of here. He shot Charlie one last look and kicked the door open with his boots.

He covered quite some distance, but her face, the damn look on her face was not letting go of him. Fuck. Charlotte. Her face sharply appearing in his mind. He was sure it was her that saved his ass, from the lethal poison. It was Charlie who, for whatever fucking reason, had found something in him worth saving. So what the hell was he doing here? Damn it. He was beyond irritated that she had gotten under his skin. Fuck, he had to go back.

When he reached the hall again, a kaki son of a bitch held Charlie against the wall, his hand firmly on Charlie's throat. Another patriot was not far way. He slit that bastards throat and watched how she herself took advantage of the distraction, killing off the patriot that had threw her against the wall. Her fighting style reminded her of Miles, but there was something in there that was just pure Charlie. He could not take his eyes away from her.

Charlie took a weapon from the floor, her breathe still slightly out of control. Right now he was prepared for everything, unsure what she would do.

 _'You came back,_ ' The smallest of sigh when she looked at him and spoke, taking him in. There was no loathing, no fury, like he had expected.

He could only look at her. He was trying to find some words. He came back, somehow his mind had decided he could not leave her behind. And this time it had nothing to do with Miles, nothing to do with the fact that if she died, he would never find out where Miles was, , like when he saved her from those monsters at that bar.

Another sound, followed by another group of patriots marching their way.

 _'Go, Go,'_  he grunted in her direction, wanting them to move as fast as possible. He covered her when she passed him , running together for cover.

And when they found some cover, engaged in an heavy fire fight, he searched for her eyes, and found them. The moment only lasted one second, but it was still there, the weird connection between them. God damn it, this girld could fight.

The fight ended abruptly, when they watched in absolute shock how the remaining patriots bursted into flames. He could see how Charlie was trying to make some damn sense of it all. He himself had seen it before, when Staypuft did the same with the patriots earlier.

The smell of burnt flesh and smoke filled the school. Charlie did not know what the hell happened, but they needed to find Miles and her mother.

They started to walk past the burned body's, and Charlie was fighting against the impulse to throw up when the horrible smell of burned flesh met her. They walked in silence, but Charlie was very aware of Monroe being close to her.

 _'It was you, right?_ ' Bass had been looking away from her when he had asked the question, but when she stopped walking, he turned towards her. Charlie knew what he was talking about. She had been wondering if he would ever mention it, going back to that painful day of the execution.

 _'Yes,'_  Her tone was calm, her answer simple.

They stood there for a moment, blue finding blue. Charlie almost took one step closer to him. It was only when a completely devastated Aaron crossed the corner, she realised what she had just almost done.

* * *

It was one of those dreams. One of those dreams that would keep Charlie company for a very long time after waking up. One of those dreams that made her wake up and had her doubt if it was reality or not. When Charlie woke up, her heart was racing. Her skin wet with sweat. Her cheeks flushed. She still felt his hands on her, she could still feel his eyes burning into her eyes. Charlie could still taste him on her lips.

She kept her eyes shut, wanting to connect with the feeling and the images from the dream as long as she could as she still was on the edge of sleep and being awake.

She had been exhausted when she finally got some sleep the night before. When they had found Miles, unconscious in another classroom, they had rushed him back to her grandfather. The stubborn idiot had the fantastic idea of not telling them about his infected hand. Instead he had waited until the infection had started to spread and knocked him out completely.

An absolutely gutted Aaron had told them that Cynthia was gone. It was hard for Charlie to watch him, watch him when they had buried her. She did not know the details, but Horn had shot her. She did not have the stomach right now to ask him about what happened. Miles was getting better and stronger, returning to the Miles she loved seeing most. Slowly she was able to relax a little. Well, relax might be the wrong word. She could not stop thinking about the moment Monroe came back for her. The look in his eyes, the deep look that still made something in her stomach flip.

Made her question what he had wanted to tell her. The memory of fighting together was strong. The eye contact they made, the moment where she almost took a step towards him. It should not bother her so much.

She called herself to order before sleeping, and felt lucky at how exhausted she felt. Sleep would take her away from that school in moments. But why, even with her back turned to him, did she know exactly where Monroe had settled down for the night? She could picture him, even with her eyes closed.

Sleep did pull her away from the school, but a dream brought her back to a familiar empty swimming pool. The one where she woke up after trying to kill Monroe.

 _'Rise and shine'_ , she heard the deep familiar voice from Monroe.

She felt the rope against her wrists, her hands and waist tied, her body against one of the walls from the swimming pool. She looked to her right. Monroe leaned against the other wall, his body casually finding support from that wall. One of his legs up, feet resting to the bricks. His legs a little bit wide. So casual, so relaxed but so full of strength and energy. His eyes were not relaxed, they were filled with hunger. Deep hunger. But his body seemed calm.

Charlie realised when he took a step forward, that this time, there were no ropes to keep him in his place. She was very aware of her body, tried to get loose, but the hold of the ropes were stronger then her wish to get out. Keeping her in one place. This time, she was the only one that was tied up. When Monroe reached her, she noticed how tall he was. How broad his shoulders were. How the muscles of his body were flexing.

He did not touch her yet but brought his mouth next to her right ear.

 _'So, Charlotte, it seems like we meet again.'_  His voice raw and deep.

Slowly, ever so slowly he tangled some of her hair through his fingers and let it fall back on her shoulder. He was good at this, Charlie noticed before there was no way of thinking clearly and coherently. She could feel his breath against her skin. There was no fear, she was surprised how he was so full of power but how ready she was to give over control. She wanted to let go and disappear in the feeling that was building up in her core. Her body betrayed her, she was already getting ready for him. There was literally no fighting out of this one, but she did not want to either. Charlie wanted Monroe, she wanted him.

Without words he kissed that perfect little spot on her neck. And then another kiss, this one more raw. Followed by a little bite. His body was leaning into hers, without crushing her, with perfect pressure. Charlie could not help herself and just had to push her hips towards him. Her hands wanted to grasp his shirt but Monroe's hands pushed her away. There was so much want in her body, but it had no place to go. It only build up more tension deep down in her stomach.

His hands went from her wrists to her arms and then wandered off to her stomach. They disappeared under her tank top. She moaned. And moaned again when he found her breasts and cupped them.

His deep blue eyes filled with hunger drove her even more crazy. He brought his lips to hers, and when he held her breasts, Monroe kissed her with the same hunger as Charlie saw in his eyes. The kiss was deep, his tongue everywhere.

And just when she thought she was going to explode, she felt how hard he was. Pressed against her belly. He stopped the kiss, his blues intensely holding her gaze. His hands started to move. Monroe placed one of his hands next to her head against the wall and leaned in a little. The other one went lower and lower and untied the button of her jeans. He let his hand slip in her panties and found the perfect spot. His movements so well directed,

She was wet, ready and was not sure if her legs were going to give out. The skin of his fingers felt rough to her skin when he started to rub her. There was pressure. He took his time. Slowly he rubbed her, never losing eye contact with her. Then, without warning, he pushed two fingers in.

Charlie was not able to think anymore, her body only wanting one thing, one man. Monroe. Him. Her whole world turned around his body, his hands, his eyes and movements. He brought her to the edge, but then stopped. It gave her a jolt in her stomach.

Next thing she was aware of, were his fingers, still wet from her, around her wrist. Monroe loosened the rope just enough so she could move a little. He did not touch the rope around her waist.

Without a word and with one last look of lust from his blue eyes, the same lust that must have been reflecting in her eyes as well, he turned her around. With one flowing movement he took her pants together with her panties down without effort. She felt the night air around her skin. She heard the sound of a zipper, fabric moving and then felt one hand, one strong hand around her waist . He shoved her against the wall, her hands against it now for some kind of support. Charlie knew what was going to happen. She needed it, wanted it. Wanted it in a way she never thought possible. She felt how he slowly put the head of his cock against her entrance. He waited.

 _'Monroe,'_  she moaned. Saying his name out loud, with him being so close, feeling his hard head against her skin was the most insane erotic moment she had ever had. She just wanted to say his name over and over.  _'Monroe.'_

With one thrust he was in her. She heard a low deep growl coming from Monroe, almost enough to make her come already. Monroe held her close, his scruff against her hair, his breath close to her ear. His other hand found his way back to her breast. He was everywhere. He picked up the pace, and kept thrusting in her. She felt her orgasm building up and with one deep thrust she had to let go. She came around him. Her whole body disappeared in that one moment. She felt how he lost control as well. His body falling towards her back.

It was what buzzed in her mind when she realised the wall of the swimming pool and Monroe behind her and in her were disappearing into a dark night, a cold floor and her sleeping bad around her. The feeling between her legs still so fierce that she touched herself, she had to. She kept her hand in her soft panties for a moment before the realisation of the dream hit her. Her breath slowing down, returning to being awake.

All of a sudden the intensity of pure pleasure and lust changed into a feeling of being worried her dream wasn't a silent one, or a motionless one. The moans from moments ago still somewhere in the back of her throat. His name still on her lips.

The feelings she felt in her dream for this man, for him, for his tall body filled with strength, for his skin, his scruff and his eyes completely overwhelmed her. Where did this came from? Her body was still full, full with thoughts of him. Full of him.

And then she saw Monroe move from the corner of his eyes. He turned away from her. Did he turn in his sleep? She listened to his breaths but she knew it was pointless, this man was able to fake sleep. She knew him well enough to know it did not mean anything to hear him breath the way he did. This dream, this intense unexpected dream. She already knew without having to think it through that she was in a lot of trouble, so many feelings in her fighting for being heard. Reason fighting with passion.

But if Monroe indeed had been awake when she was in that intense moment back in the swimming pool, there was a possibility she was even in more trouble. She was thankful for all the hours that separated her and sunrise. Separated her from having to face Monroe. Separated for what Monroe's eyes might tell her, or not tell her.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! About feelings for certain people...the mind has a way to find a way through right? Dreams dreams dreams.. :) Thanks again for reading! Love from Love


	10. The amazing kind of good

Charlie needed the time that separated her from sunrise, that separated her from meeting his eyes, to calm herself down and shake the dream off. She tried to put some distance between her and the intense waves of her dream.

_Distance between her and his deep voice close to her ear._

_Distance between her and his hand under her tank top._

_The raw feeling of lust and desire._

_For him._

But most of all she was completely overwhelmed that it had been him, that it had been Monroe who was able to let her body respond with hunger for him. Sure, she had noticed before that he was not the worse guy to look at, but this impossible want for this one man was new.

Charlie wanted to be the first person to be up, so she could get up and quite literally put some distance between her and him. But that plan had failed. She had fallen asleep again, and when she woke up, she noticed that everyone had started their day. Well, almost everybody, Miles was still in deep sleep on the bed not far away from her, her mother asleep next to him.

The sunlight was sharp, making her eyes blink when she walked outside. There was still a chill in the air, so she put on her jacket.

The first person she noticed was Aaron, sitting down, his eyes full of grieve. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulders. They had buried Cynthia a little further ahead, after Horn put a bullet in her, right in front of Aaron. Aaron had still not talked to her grandfather, something she understood, after his betrayal. She squeezed his shoulder before she walked on.

She was thirsty and decided to head for the water pump, behind their safe house. She let the cold water run through her hands, and splashed some water in her face to wake her up, and to force out the persistent last images of her dream.

The cold water brought her back to her senses.

That was until she heard familiar footsteps right behind her. Charlie could feel her back tense up. She removed some drops of water from her lips with the back of her hand before she turned around. She looked directly in the face of the man who's hands, lips and touch she was trying to forget so hard since she had woken up.

* * *

When Bass had woken up there was this noise he couldn't place at first. Then he watched how Charlie was moving under her blanket. He was ready to move over to her to shake her out of her nightmare, like he had done some times before, when they were on the road from Vegas to Willoughby.

But just before he had wanted to move, she had started to moan softly. It was dark in the room, but not dark enough for him to prevent to see how her lips were slightly parted, her body moving slowly, her head tilted back when she let out another moan _. What the hell?_ Her breathing accelerated, becoming more shallow. Then the moaning slowly fading away.

He had only wanted to screw with her, so when she walked to the pump he had followed her. And now he had been following her hand, and how it removed drops of water that were on her lips.

' _Got a good night of sleep, Charlotte?'_ His voice still roughly from the hours of sleep.

' _Just fine Monroe, how about you? The floor not too hard for your back?'_ She snapped at him, but not too unfriendly. She watched his bare arm, he was wearing a simple shirt, that brought out the edgy lines of his muscles in his arms.

' _Water is all yours,'_  she nodded in the direction of the pump next to her before she started to walk back. Did she just see a hint of amusement in his eyes?

' _Are you sure, you looked quite thirsty just now,'_ his eyes were on a point in the distance on his right.

There was something in his voice that warned her, bracing herself for what could come next.

' _And a little flushed, I have to say,'_ He turned his head back to her, his eyes pierced into hers.

' _Something to do with your good night of sleep?'_ There was a smirk around his lips.

The way he had pronounced the word  _good_  brought a shiver through Charlie's spine. Charlie forced herself to not look away. She never did when it came to Monroe. Her mind racing. So, apparently he had been awake, he had noticed her. But there was no way in hell she was going to back down.

' _Oh, it was good Monroe,'_ casually crossing her arms before her chest _,_  raising one eyebrow at him, _'real good, the amazing kind of good.'_ she spoke the words slowly, never letting go of his gaze.

Bass had a hard time swallowing all of a sudden. Charlie standing close to him, something deep in her eyes he never saw before. The sound of her moaning so damn close to him last night, suddenly echoing in his ears. There was no mocking in her voice.  _Fuck,_  she had meant it, they both knew damn well what they were talking about. It made him want to take her mouth with his.  _Now._

Charlie noticed how his eyes got bigger, and she watched how he swallowed with unease while his eyes were glued to her. It gave her strong sense of satisfaction to see his reaction.

She then turned away from him, a small smile around her lips, leaving Monroe behind, not saying another word to him.

* * *

 

_**One week later** _

One moment she stood by a water pump with Monroe, another moment Charlie found herself in the middle of a quarantine camp, helping her grandfather with a sudden outbreak of what seemed to be nothing less than typhus. After her little moment with Monroe things had kicked into high daily life gear. Charlie had heard Monroe talking about his son before, when he was arguing with Miles right before they had to save Aaron.

Her mother, Miles and Monroe left a week ago to finally find him, Monroe not wanting to waist another moment, something she understood. She had walked out the room when Bass had demanded time with Miles, and there was this werid pull of her shoulder touchgin his on the way out. It was like they both were playing with personal distance.

There was still no sign from them. Charlie had watched them leave, her look drawn to him when he disappeared in the distance. Three forms, three horses.

It was weird not having them all around, the safe house felt strangely empty when they all had left. What didn't help with that feeling of emptiness was the fact that Aaron had decided to take off in the middle of the night, leaving her pissed off and her and her grandfather behind. She had tried to track him down but Aaron knew her well enough to make sure she wasn't able to follow him that far.

When they had been looking for Aaron, her grandfather had stumbled upon what appeared to be a quarantine camp, lead by the same people that were holding their town. She had warned her grandfather to stay away from the camp, but just like her mother, listening wasn't his strong point. When she realised he did the exact opposite of staying away, she had sighed with irritation and grabbed her weapons and decided to help him. That had been the plan, but of course, it had backfired. They ended up in the middle an outbreak, Truman asking for their help, leaving them with no other choice than stay and give that help.

They did everything they could, but Charlie had to watch how the virus did its devastating work. Her body felt tired, and it was frustrating to see so much death around her. She was just taking a much needed break, when she realised that her mother was standing before her.

It was Rachel who discovered that the virus wasn't natural, that it was handmadet, with the sole purpose too control who got sick and who didn't. The nauseating concept of separating the weak from the strong by this disgusting method filling Charlie's throat.

Absolute panic set in when she had to watch how her grandfather got sick too. She knew her mother got word to Miles, Monroe and Monroe's kid to find the antidote they knew just had to be there. Those cowards wouldn't take the risk of getting sick and die themselves. But when she had to watch how her mother tried to get her grandfathers heart going again, after he had stopped breathing, it brought Charlie to tears, holding on to his life as hard as she could, watching her mother fight for his life.

Moments after he started to breathe again, a small moment of relieve washing over her for now, he stormed in, little bottles of antidote in his hand. She knew immediately who he had to be. When she was busy using the antidotes, she shot a look at him.

' _So, you're Monroe's kid?'_ She asked when she administered another dose of antidote, her hands working fast, wanting to save as much people as possible.

' _Really, you want to do a meet and greet now?'_ His voice raspy, clearly anxious to get the hell out this camp.

She let her eyes roam over the younger Monroe. Tall, dark curls, strong jaw lines. Deep eyes, but not the same colour as his father. Sounded a little bit like his father though, she had to admit.

* * *

Bass threw his stuff in the corner of the safe house, it was still weird to know that his kid was here too. His back still hurt like hell, the cuts slowly healing but the pain far but gone. Hell, if this was what he had to do to get his kid out of that dump in Mexico, so be it.

Rachel walked passed him, on her way to get water for her father, shooting him another of her special loathing looks.

Yeah, this trip had been a whole lot of fun, he thought bitterly. Hell, listening to her bitching on about the fact that Connor had turned into this, into the young man he had met in Mexico, simply because he was his, his blood. The challenge and icy look in her eyes, her back turned to Miles, when only the sound of her voice had irritated him already enough to hell and back.

When Bass saw Charlie again, the first time in more than a week, she walked into their safe house. He had seen her before from a distance, when they were scouting the camp.

He noticed she looked like hell, her eyes tired, missing their normal fire. Connor was not far behind her.

'Hey _, you are back.'_  her eyes lit up for a small moment when her eyes found his. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

' _You okay?_ ' His question simple, but with a low intensity.

She gave him a nod and held his gaze for a couple of seconds before she was on her way again.

Bass watched Connor from the other side of the room, watched how his kids eyes were roaming all over Charlie when she walked away. At that moment he had to fight the impulse of grabbing Connor by his shirt and tell his kid to stay the hell away from  _her_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know, Connor is here...but remember, this is a Charloe season :) more in next chapter! I appreciate you reading this chapter and all your reviews and follows for tis story! Love from Love


	11. Vegas, again  part One

_God, she hated to be wrong. Being wrong was not one of her favourite things. She was a Matheson, that said it all. But she had been wrong, wrong about him. Here in the cover of darkness of the night, walking towards Duncan's camp alone, where it was just her and her thoughts away from what everybody else around her wanted her to feel, she could finally admit it to herself._

_That one thing he said to her, in that empty swimming pool. She could hear him, picture him again against the wall and hear him say it again and again._

_You don't know me, Charlotte._

_He was right. Something was released in her chest when she finally allowed herself to give in. He was right._

_She could not leave him behind. She knew she probably was not going to walk away alive from not wanting to leave him behind. But leaving Bass behind, just was not an option anymore. Because she would never say it to his face for a very long time, but Monroe became Bass._

_Bass._

_After all, not so long ago Bass came back for her. Now Charlie was going back for him._

**One day before**

Her mind kept goin back to the tent where Duncan and Monroe had disappeared into. The last image from Monroe was a charming grin when he had just walked behind her. When she had heard Monroe talking about a war lord, she had not been excepting a woman. But hey, this was still Monroe, so it wasn't that much of a surprise.

So, here she was. In Vegas,  _again_. With Monroe _, again_. Only this time she was not here to put an arrow in his neck. She was asking herself if Monroe was even aware of the fact that this wasn't her first time in Vegas. She never told him, he never asked. Things had changed since the last time she was here, things had changed in ways she'd never imagined. At least, every now and then, the universe had a hell of a sense of humour, she thought.

A little over a week ago Miles had asked her to go with the Monroe boys on their trip to get more mercenaries, finding much needed extra men to help them in the fight with what they were facing. She honestly didn't mind. Somebody had to babysit them, making sure they would actually come back.

When she had climbed into the back of the wagon, Monroe was sitting in the front of the wagon while she had thrown her bag in first, Monroe had turned towards her, the reins already in his hands

' _Who says your invited?'_ His tone deep, but not hostile.

' _Who says it is up to you?'_ She had snapped back, but with a milder tone than usual in her voice.

Somehow they had ended up in a place where not too unfriendly bantering was growing between them. It felt strangely familair at this point. And before she had found a place in the back of the wagon, her back turned to his and seperated with the wood from the wagon, she could see the smallest smirk of amusement round his eyes.

The trip down here hadn't been that bad. Connor had his cocky moments, but every now and then something that looked like a conversation was happened between them. Instead of being impressed she was rather amused by the way he was trying to show off.

They days on the road had been long, and when she fell asleep exhausted with the day, it was not that uncommon that Monroe's sleeping bag was next to hers.

Charlie had felt a shift between her and Monroe. Things were different, she did not know since when and why exactly, but there was more room to breathe between them. She found herself more often in a position where she actually asked him something, instead of snapping at him. Charlie could feel his unease at first, apparently surprised that she was actually talking to him. She liked how his face opened up every now and then, it made the blue in his eyes even more intense.

Vegas was intense. Prostitutes, casino's, bars. She had walked under the banner of the city between Monroe and Monroe junior. Monroe's tall body close to her, when he had stepped next to her when the city came into sight.

' _So, where are we going to pick up these men?'_  Connor wanted to know.

' _From a war lord called Duncan Page, very dangerous. So keep your mouth shut and do what I say,'_ Monroe's tone deep, making himself crystal clear.

' _I know what I'm doing,'_ Connor snapped back.

_Not here, you don't.'_

Charlie had smiled, listening to the bickering between the two men. Her arm had brushed his. The contact had been short, the touch light. She had noticed that Monroe wasn't exactly keeping his distance when he had lead them into a warm and crowded casino tent, Charlie had been immediately scanning her surroundings, on edge.

' _So, what does this Duncan like?'_ She had to raise her voice a little to not let the sound of her voice disappear into the many voices filling the tent.

Before Monroe had been able to answer they were interrupted.

' _Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Jimmy King,'_ Monroe turned around to face that voice, ' _you've got some swinging brass ones, walking into my casino.'_

' _Gould, all do respect, I can explain,'_ Monroe tried to keep things cool.

' _You were my best fighter, I had you booked up for weeks,'_ Gould's voice was full of accusation. Charlie's mind went back to the first time she had seen Monroe, mid fight. She looked at Connor, who was looking at his father.

' _Yeah, well, something important came up,'_ Monroe answered without looking at her.

Gould, the weasel, gave her a thirsty revolting look, his eyes on her.  _Seriously?_

' _What is more important than me?'_  Gould eyes got stuck somewhere around her chest.

' _Hey,'_  Bass snapped his fingers in front of Gould,  _'hey,'_  more pressure in his voice, irritation seeping though that this asshole was looking at Charlie,  _'have you seen Duncan?'_

Charlie could stand on her own, but she had decided to not waist her breath on this weasel, It had been a strange new feeling to see Monroe go all protective over her, making sure Gould eyes stopped roaming her body.

' _You and I have unfinished business,'_ Gould was talking to Monroe, but his eyes wandered back to Charlie again, before they he was called away by one of his men. Telling Monroe he would be back to deal with all of this.

' _Dick,'_  Bass grunted under his breath.  _'Come on,'_  he had nodded at her and Connor to follow.

Charlie had never met a woman like Duncan. They had found her in a more quiet place, at the back of the lager tent, playing cards with a group of men, more men surrounding them. When she had turned their way, calling Monroe by his real name, Charlie had known there was definitely history between those two. Monroe's tone had been relaxed when he talked to her, turning on his Monroe charm.

When he took one step closer to Duncan, after she had told him to turn around and leave while they still could, guns were out in the open in no time. Charlie had not not hesitated and had aimed hers right at Duncan. Duncan's eyes crashing into hers with an amused smile. It had been Monroe that told her to put the gun down, holding out his hands in her way to calm her down. Reluctantly Charlie had done so. Then he had turned the charm on even more. There had been something about it all that rubbed Charlie the wrong way. She had kept her eyes firmly on Duncan, not moving an inch.

Eventually Duncan had agreed to talk to Monroe, but without  _her_  and Charlie found herself with Connor, wandering around Vegas without true aim.

It shouldn't bother her that much, but it did. It was the first time she had seen Monroe with a woman, talking to her with ease, that seemed to appear as his second nature when it came to woman. When she had tracked him down the first time she had come to Vegas, there was a blonde dangling on his arm. Indifference and a little disgust was all she felt back then. But this time, seeing him with Duncan, this time was different.

' _I got to admit, I was wrong about you,'_ Connor's voice was pulling her out of her thoughts. He had one hand in the pocket of his jeans.

' _That so?'_ She raised one eyebrow at Connor.

' _I thought you were just some chick. I mean, back home the girls put root beat on their lips, not pulling out guns.'_

' _Well, I'm not like the girls at home, am I?'_ Shooting one look in his direction.

' _No, you are definitely not,'_  Connor had to admit, a smile in his voice.

She laughed at him. Obviously she could hear the flirting undertone in his voice. His eyes rested on her with casualness.  _Nice try_   _junior_ , she thought, but there was a part of her that liked to be noticed again by a man. But maybe, it hadn't been the right man, a little voice deep down told her.

They walked back to their wagon, talking in a relaxed way. It had been a long day, and her top was glued to her skin, sweat and dirt on it. She grabbed her bag from the wagon, dropping one of the sleeping bags on the ground accidently, and found the other tank she was looking for. A fresh one, before she would try and get some sleep.

' _Bennet, give a woman some privacy and turn around,'_  She said firmly.

Connor smiled at her. He turned around, and leaned into the wagon, rolling up the sleeves from his jacket.

Charlie threw her old tank top over her head and threw it in the direction of her bag. She felt the night air on her sweaty skin. She was midway putting on her new top when she heard his voice rumbling through the air.

' _You are kidding me, you have got to be kidding me!'_ Monroe shouted, his arms spread in the air in disbelieve.

Charlie looked up, directly in Monroe's eyes, realising her bra and the skin of her stomach where still showing, while Connor walked in the direction of his father.

' _We are in Vegas, literally surrounded by whores, and you choose her?'_ Bass nodded in Charlie's direction, rage seeping through his words.

' _Listen, you have been my father for what, a whole of 15 minutes?'_ Connor sounded agitated, done listening to his father tell him what he could and could not do.  _'Back off, this is none of your business.'_

' _Miles and Rachel, what will happen when they find out?'_ He pointed one finger at his son's chest. ' _You are an idiot, and you are thinking with the wrong head.'_

Bass had been able to make a deal with Duncan, it would cost them big, but he knew Duncan. This was the prize she wanted, and that meant if they wanted those mercenaries, they better find a way to get a fucking truckload of diamonds.

When he had made his way back to their meeting point, the first thing he noticed was Connor, casually leaning into the wagon, on foot resting on one of the wheels, a smile around his kids lips, rolling up his sleeves.

He took one step closer and looked directly at Charlotte, busy pulling her tank top over her head, smooth skin and a black bra that touched the curves of her breasts with almost perfection, al too visible.

Then he had noticed the bed roll on the floor, not far from the wagon.

 _Oh hell no_.

Complete anger took over when he realised what happened. His kid with Charlie.  _Charlie_. Next to anger that was quickly turning into full blown rage he felt something else, something that made it difficult to swallow.

Bass listened to his son, talking about being partners and how he had to back off. His mind still firmly on Charlie, who was standing a little bit further ahead. Trying to block out certain well curved parts of her slender body _._

Charlie walked up to the Monroe's, realising damn well that Monroe had made the wrong conclusion, listening in on the conversation from a far. But his reaction with utter rage, did something to her.

She had to watch him with Duncan, Duncan's eyes on him, his stupid charm directing at her, and they were probably did a hell of a lot more than just taking back there while she and Connor were told to wait outside like some kids who were told to go out and play.

Nothing happened between her and Connor, and seeing Monroe react, worry about what the hell Miles and her mother would think about this, like she was some kind of kid with no life of her own, made her blood boil, but she was not going to give him that satisfaction.

She was pissed, pissed that she was another babysitting job at somebody else's list.

She was tugging her gun back into the waistband of her jeans, straitening the fabric of her top when she walked to Monroe.

' _You got the mercenaries?'_  She let her gaze flow from his boots to his eyes, playing this cool, refusing to give him more after his outburst.

' _Yeah, we only have to pay for them,'_  She watched how Monroe looked at her with big eyes, the rage left his face, and something that looked close to being stunned replacing it.

' _Good,'_  She nodded at him, trying to make her voice sound as casual as possible, before she turned around to put some much needed distance between her and him.

* * *

They walked over to Gould's casino, in a not so comfortable silence. This time she wasn't walking next to Monroe anymore, and there was something in her that didn't like this distance between them. A thought she pushed away for now, because there was a job to do, and she needed to stay focussed.

They got a drink, and were discussing how they would get the needed diamonds. Monroe came up with a plan, a plan Charlie wasn't sure off she liked completely. But they had no choice. Monroe owed Gould a fight, and it would be the perfect distraction for her and Connor to rob the small casino , to get the stones to pay for the mercenaries. The plan sounded so simple. Fight, diamonds, Duncan, mercenaries and get the hell out of there.

Charlie was looking around her, listening to Monroe, while Connor set next to her. She noticed how Monroe was drinking his beer, when his eyes were drinking her in. It made her slightly nervous. She licked her lips quickly, not wanting to look away from him, but it was hard to ignore the feeling deep down her stomach.

Bass had watched Charlie turn away from him, after he had walked in on her and his kid. And now she was sitting across from him, and he couldn't stop looking at her. He noticed how she quickly licked her lips. She looked different to him , although he could not understand how the fuck why.

He took another gulp from his beer, planting the cup firmly back on the bar.

' _Time to move,'_  he grunted. If Duncan wanted that ridiculously amount of diamond per head, so be it. They went back to the wagon, so he could grab a shirt, and Charlie and Connor could grab some more weapons.

Before they would each go their own way, Connor stopped his father.  _'Thanks for trusting us with this.'_

Charlie felt irritated, when she heard Connor using the word  _us_.

' _Hey, we are partners right? I see both of you at the rendezvous point,'_  Bass started to walk away from them before he turned around, facing Charlie.

' _Oh and Charlotte, try not to have yourself killed, or at least wait until you are on Miles'watch,'_ his tone rough and condescending.

Charlie felt a wave of irritation going through her body when Monroe walked away. She watched him walk away to his fight, and felt even more irritation when she noticed another feeling, a feeling dangerously close to concern, hoping things would work out the way they had planned. Asshole or no asshole, she found herself in a place where she was actually thinking about him, watching him dissapear into the dark, on his way back to Gould.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the little twist ... the next chapter will be Vegas, Part two! Love from Love


	12. Vegas, again part two

**New Vegas, again. Part two**

_Bass needed a moment to let her words sink in. He looked at Charlie, her blues sinking into his. His eyes went to the perfect deep red of her lush lips, before he closed the distance to her mouth, his lips crashing on hers._

_Fuck. What the hell was he doing? He pulled back, expecting Charlie to at least slap him in the face, or worse, for whatever the hell he just did._

_She didn't._

**A couple of days before**

_Son of a bitch._ Bass had just watched Gould and his entourage walk away, after he had to listen to Gould, standing with his stupid greasy face at the other side of the fence from the cage he and Connor were in, talking about the dog fight. A fight to the death.

Things had seemed to work out the way they had planned. Although Gould had found one hell of a competition for his fight, Bass had found a way around it. Hell, he was Sebastian Monroe, he could handle this tug. He had won the fight. He had hoped it gave Connor and Charlie enough time to get those damn diamonds.

He had been relieved to find Connor after the fight, throwing an easy going arm around his shoulder, messing with his kid's hair in relieve and pride. His body felt like hell after that fight, but all he could feel right now was pride for his son. Things had moved fast after that: Gould had figured out their plan, and his men had closed in on them. With a hit on his head, one of Gould's men knocked the wind out of him and they got dragged away to a cage, torches and guards around them.

Somehow Gould had found out who he really was, which would mean a hell of a pay for him day if the former General and his son would fight in his little arena. Only one of them making it out there alive. Bass had wanted to rip Gould's throat out there and then, the only thing stopping him was the threat Gould made about shooting Connor on the spot if he even moved an inch.

' _How are we going to get out of here?'_  Connor asked, his eyes on the guards around the fence.

' _If you have any ideas? I am all ears kid.'_

' _Charlie is still out of there?'_

' _Yeah, right, Mini-Miles? She is going to save us? Lets just hold or breath'_ His eyes were dark, when he answered Connor. Bass went back to Charlie for a moment, realising she probably would not put her ass on the line just to get them out. And even if she did, her infuriating Matheson stubbornness wouldn't do the trick this time, not with Gould, not here in Vegas.  _'Well, if we can't get out of here, we've got to get ready. '_

' _What do you mean?.'_ Connor looked at his father intensely, slowly realising where his father was headed.

Bass turned around to face his son, his eyes piercing into his.

' _I've got to teach you how to kill me.'_

* * *

Charlie had waited at their rendezvous point for a long time, until she realised Connor and Monroe were not showing up.  _Damn_. Now she had to go back and save their sorry asses.

There was a cold stab in her stomach when she had found them, some bushes and the darkness of the night giving her cover, not far from the cage where Gould held both of the man captive and heard about the disgusting idea of the dog fight. Another sting deep down when she noticed Monroe looked like hell. She looked at the cage, counted the guards. There was no way she could get them out of there.

One name shot through her mind.  _Duncan_. It was her only chance. It was a long shot, but if Duncan knew who Monroe really was, maybe, maybe she was willing to help.

God, she hated to be wrong. Being wrong was not one of her favourite things. She was a Matheson, that said it all. But she had been wrong, wrong about him. Here in the cover of darkness of the night, walking towards Duncan's camp alone, where it was just her and her thoughts away from what everybody else around her wanted her to feel, she could finally admit it to herself.

That one thing he said to her, in that empty swimming pool. She could hear him, picture him against the wall and hear him say it again and again.

_You don't know me, Charlotte._

He was right. Something was released in her chest when she finally allowed herself to give in. He was right.

It had happened ever so unfolded on the road back to Willoughby with all those little moments between them. She did everything she could to not let herself feel it. To keep him at a distance. He had to stay that one dimensional monster she created to deal with her pain. He had to stay Monroe. Not a person, but Monroe. Not the person who saved her life after she did everything in her power to take his. He was not supposed to show up in her memories, he was not supposed to give her comfort, he was not supposed the be a man she ended up in fights with, only to discover they actually could work together.

She did her best pushing all his buttons so he would hurt her, but he never did.

There was no going back now. There was no going back from this. Charlie always fought, and always would be fighting, for the people she cared about and the things that were true for her. She could have just walked away, away from the cage, from Monroe and his kid, leave them there. Leave him there to die. Death by a stroke from his own son. Because there was no doubt in her mind Monroe would not let Connor die.

She could have everything she did not get the first time she went to Vegas. But she could not leave him behind. She knew she probably was not going to walk away alive from not wanting to leave  _him_  behind. But leaving Bass behind, just was not an option anymore. Because she would never say it to his face for a very long time, but Monroe became Bass. Bass. After all, one time not so long ago Monroe came back for her. Now Charlie was going back for him.

She slowly approached Duncan's camp, fires and the sounds of men indicating she was close.

* * *

' _Ah, Monroe's bitch, I remember you.'_ Duncan's eyes lit up, the fires from the camp glowing over her face.

Duncan's welcome into her camp wasn't exactly the warm and friendly one. Not that Charlie expected one. Charlie tried to convince the woman before her that if she wanted her diamonds, they had to help her get Monroe out of trouble. But instead of finding help, she ended up in a whole lot of trouble herself. They tied her up and she was put in a tent alone.

When the pale morning light arrived, a misty and cold morning, two of Duncan's men came for her. Duncan made some kind of deal with Gould, leaving her chained up to Gould's wagon, Duncan and her camp slowly disappearing from sight.

* * *

Bass had just done one of the hardest things in his life. He told Connor he got Emma, his mother, killed.

They had trained all night, teaching his kid everything he needed to know to take his life. The sun had come up, a bitter cold morning had arrived. Connor kept going back over and over again how he rather died here on his feet , then to give Gould his fight.

He tried desperately to find something in Connor, find something that would make him want to fight as hell. And right now, the truth was the only thing he had left to give his son.

So he told Connor how he dragged Emma right into gunfire. The vision of Emma dying his arms, of the woman he once loved so much, so clear for a moment he could almost touch it. Watching the look of realisation in Connor's eyes mixing with a building anger tearing him apart from the inside. He gave him some space, before Connor made a full blown attack that knocked the air out of his longs.

Connor didn't talk to him for the next hour. Both of the men were sitting down, their backs to the fence of the cage they were still in, distance between them. He watched how his son had tears in his eyes, staring in front of him.

It was time for more truths, there was nothing more left to do before he would give his life for his son, tonight. Bass finally let some of the darkness in ,he kept at such a distance, feeling tears in his eyes for a long time.

He told Connor how he killed and clawed his way to the front of the pack. How he had caused so much damage and hurt along the way. How when he finally got there, it hadn't mean one hell of a thing because he was all alone. He needed Connor to make it out of here alive.

He told him he needed Connor to take the republic back. To make a live for himself, to find a girl,  _not Charlie, oh fuck. not .Charlie._ to have kids. To not be alone. If him dying today made sure Connor would live, the Republic would live on and his son found some happiness, then that was worth dying for in the end and it would all have some fucking meaning after all.

Connor had turned to his father, and Bass finally felt some connection between him and his son. One of the guards threw in some disgusting kind of food, when Bass saw a wagon approaching. Blonde hair and the familiar frame of her body bringing a stop to his system _._ Those assholes had put chains around her wrists and feet, Gould's riding shotgun, shooting him a challenging look. His eyes founds hers for one moment, he could almost saw regret in her eyes.  _Charlie_. And then, she was gone of his sight.  _Charlie._

He kept his face in a straight line, when he watched Connor look at Charlie.

 _'Well, so much for that rescue.'_ Bass said in low tone and raspy voice. Emotions out of his voice. He couldn't. He could not feel what he fucking was feeling right now. For her. It did not matter. Things, just like this whole fucking day, were closing in on him in an endless cloud of grey. He could not let her pierce through.

Now all they were able to do, was wait. Wait it out, wait until Gould's men would come for them.

* * *

Charlie heard cheers outside of the trailer _. T_ he fight had started. Her heart was beating impossibly fast. Disgust and rage filling her when she made her final move. The smelling man so near to her, up to the point it had made her nauseous, his hands had already touched places they shouldn't have. If Gould thought he could use her as some cheap prostitute to satisfy his clients, he was dead wrong. The humiliation of being forced to wear some slutty lingerie, only added to her rage.

She was using everything she had in her, to push him off, the chains Gould had put on her wrists, those chains trapping her to the bed, prevented her from moving the way she wanted to. More cheers from the tent, far away. The thought of what was about to happen, the thought of losing him, gave her the extra strength she needed.

The last image of Bass was one of him in the cage, in grey morning light, leaning into the fence. He looked different, his deep blue's cloudy, no emotions on his face.

She could hear Miles voice somewhere in the back of her head _. Make the most of what you have, Kid._ She felt the chains yanking at her wrist, her eyes shooting to the man before her. Charlie knew she had only one chance and with one forceful scream she wrapped the chains around the neck of the man before her, wrapped it around his neck and only let go when he dropped dead on the bed. Her feet tore apart the wooden headboard of the bed, giving her the space she needed to get to the keys that the dumb bastard left in the trailer.

Finally free, she put on her pants, jacket and boots as fast as she could, the only thing that remained was the hope that she was not going be too late.

_**Two days later** _

Charlie felt empty with being tired from the days on the road. Tired from the endless sandy roads that would take them back to their safe house. Against all the odds, she had not been too late. In fact, she was just in time to save Duncan's life from a knife in her back from one of Gould's men. Leaving no other option for Duncan to repay that debt by creating absolute chaos, guns firing, the audience screaming when they were trying to leave the tent. Charlie ran over to the entrance of the fight cage, yelling at both of the Monroe man to stand back, firing one perfect shot at the lock to free both of them.

When she thought about the moment after everything calmed down after the fight, and they all had gathered in Duncan's camp a smile found her way to her lips. Duncan had come through with five mercenaries to give to them, well, to  _her_ , owing her for saving her life. What made things even more fun was picturing Monroe's face again when he had realised what Duncan had done, giving her command over the mercenaries.

Another long day on the road had come to a conclusion. She was relieved to know he had made it out there alive, but as soon as they had gotten back on the road, he was moody and avoiding her.  _You are welcome for saving your ass, Monroe. Smug arrogant bastard._

They set up camp not far from the main road, but still covered enough by trees and bushes to keep them out of sight and out of trouble for the night. She had felt his eyes on her all day, deep and pensive. And when she walked to a little stream not far from camp, she felt him approaching, before he even opened his mouth.

' _So, tell me something Charlotte,'_ His voice a slow low rythem. She kept her back turned to him.

' _Where do you find the time to sneak off and bang my son?'_

 _Son of a bitch_ , Charlie felt anger building up, she had to restrain herself from breaking his nose, break anything for that matter. She turned around to meet him head on.

' _It's interesting don't you think?'_ He paused for a moment, piercing his eyes deeper into hers,  _'off all the guys out there to screw, you choose a Monroe.'_

' _Oh you think that's interesting?'_  Her breathing got heavier, she pointed a finger at him.  _'You don't get to talk to me like that, Monroe.'_

They stood there, facing each other, only inches between his body and hers. Challenge in both of their eyes. Charlie eyes shot fire at him, she was so angry she was almost trembling. She could see how his jaws locked, his lips closely pressed together, irritation in his eyes.

 _'Not that it is any of your business, but nothing happened between him and me.'_ Her words were filled with focussed anger.

' _What the hell Charlie?' Bass_  growled, his eyes wide in surprise.

' _You were acting like some man child, drawing your own conclusions,'_  She shouted at him.

' _Besides if I would go for a Monroe, I would not chose him.'_

Charlie held in her breath, frozen to the ground.  _Did she just really say that?_

Bass needed a moment to let her words sink in. He looked at Charlie, his mouth open in shock. Her blues sinking into his. His eyes went to the perfect deep red of her lush lips, before he closed the distance to her mouth, his lips crashing on hers.

 _Fuck._  What the hell was he doing? He pulled back, expecting Charlie to at least slap him in the face, or worse for whatever the hell he just did.

She didn't. He looked into eyes filled with anything but anger , he saw a deep look that made him only want her more. She took one step closer to him, a jolt to his god damn system when her breasts found his chest. She looked up to him, her lips slightly parted. She grabbed his shirt, pulling him close before her mouth found his. Bass pulled her in even closer, putting one hand on the small of her back, kissing her deeply, exploring every part of her mouth. Wanting her even closer. Charlie opened her mouth, a deep moan coming from far away, their tongues met somewhere in the middle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah Vegas, so much Charloe there, so many moments and for me personally the moment where I made the shift between them: of course Charlie did not sleep with Connor here, but Bass thought she did, they did, and that was enough to bring out rage and jealousy in him, and that was enough to have an irritated Charlie and that energy was enough for that one moment between them... Hope you enjoyed the twist and the end result of that twist here...This was my take on Vegas.. Until the next chapter, Love from Love


	13. Closer

**Closer**

Charlie realised in between wild hearbeats from a surreal distance that she was kissing Bass. She was surprised at herself, surprised that she was still in his arms, surprised that her mind did not tell her to push him away. She was finally able to taste him, to feel his strength pressed against her body, his muscles under his skin, wrapping around her.

After the intense dream she was not able to deny the want she had developed for him. It was a want that borderlined with the hate she felt for this man. The hate was still there, the hurt was still there, but the pull towards him, her gravitating towards him, was something she could not deny any longer.

When she had walked towards Duncan's camp, she realised that things had changed. It was not one particular moment that shifted her perspective of him. She did not understand herself completely, but there was no going back. She owed him from saving her life in Pottsboro, but that feeling had slowly shifted into something deeper. Something more permanent settled within her.

Need. Desire, adrenaline from her fight earlier and relieve he was still here. So, she kissed him, kissed him with everything she had. Bass cupped her face with his hands, deepening the kiss. His hand surprisingly gentle when they touched her face. One of her hands slipped under his leather jacket, wrapped around his waist, all hard and muscles waiting for her.

Bass felt her hand sliding under his jacket, her hand resting somewhere on his lower back.. He moved one of his hands from her face to her neck, slowly touching the soft skin before he let his hand glide over the sleeve of her jacket, wanting to reach for her hand.

When he reached her wrist he noticed the shift in her. She winced. He could feel tension running through her body. He broke away from her lips instantly, looking for her eyes. She put up a tough front, but he knew enough. Charlie never winced. Something was very much the fuck wrong. She stepped back from him when he reached out with his hand towards her arm.

' _It's nothing, leave it,'_ Charlie avoided his gaze, pissed at herself for this, while she pulled the sleeve of the jacket over her hand, as far as she could.

' _Bullshit Charlie, it is not nothing,_ ' His voice an irritated growl.  _Damn_ her stubborness.

Charlie looked away from him. She knew this was his way of expressing his worry,  _Monroe style._

Kissing him was one thing, showing that she was in pain, because she really was, was another thing. She had trained herself to never ever show any weakness with this man. But there was something in his eyes, in the way he was standing in front of her, that made her take down the wall around her just a little.

Bass did not need any words from her, her eyes told him enough. He stepped towards her, putting her wrist in his hands. He slowly lifted her sleeve, hurt flooding her face. A deep rage took over when he saw the deep cuts all around her wrist. He found the same deep cuts on her other wrist. Her skin looked deep red and raw. Until tonight, she had not even flinched. He cursed himself for not noticing before.

' _I tried to keep it clean, but I just don't have the right stuff with me to take care of it like I should._ ' Charlie was biting at her lip, feeling the raw sting on the wounds.

He took her by her shoulders and placed her on a wooden log not far away. He crouched down in front of her, his jacket flowing open a bit, his boots into the forest ground. Charlie let her wrist rest on his knees.

'G _ould?'_

She just nodded at him. Bass knew Gould, knew what the son of a bitch would do to a woman like Charlie, he had seen it in the asshole's eyes, the first time they had walked into the casino and the son of a bitch could not keep his eyes away from her. It ripped right through him that other hands had been on her.

When she started to talk, she did not have the stomach to look at him. It had been absolutely humiliating, being forced to put on some hooker outfit, knowing Gould's plan was to whore her out, like she was nothing, like she was worth nothing.

There was something in her that was afraid he would look at her, like she was damaged goods.

' _One of Gould's men made me change into..'_ her voice sounded flat, like she needed that to make it feel like this was not really about her, that it did not happen to her, pushing the humiliation away. She did not want to finish that sentence.

' _He chained me to the bed.'_  Her eyes went to the wounds on her wrist, remembering the feel of it. Bass was not moving. His eyes were almost gentle, but his jaws, there was tenion running through them.

'This asshole  _walked in the trailer,'_  Nausea started to build up inside of her, when she remembered the absolutely filthy and revolting asshole. She forced herself to keep on talking. Refusing to give into what Gould had done to her. Refusing to break.  _'I knew I got only one chance, so I had to wait till he was close. '_

Bass heard her voice break, a sting in his stomach when he watched her and how she was trying to control herself. Silent rage was building up inside of him, the thought of another man touching Charlie like this, making his blood boil from within.

' _Charlie, did he..'_ he did not have the balls to finish his question.

She shook her head.

' _No, he didn't. He ..was all over me... but he did not...'_ Her voice faded.  _'I used the chains to overpower him, knowing I had only one chance.'_

' _One chance, and if I failed I knew you,'_  tears were pooling in her eyes, her voice barely audible ,  _'I knew you would not walk out of there alive.'_

Now it was Bas' turn to wince on the inside.  _Hell,_  hearing her talk about him this way, tore him almost apart. Charlie Matheson gave a fuck whether he lived or fucking died. Again. He did not deserve this, not from her. He heard his own fucking voice again. ... _try not to get yourself killed...or at least...wait until you are on Miles watch.._.Fuck.

' _That guy is dead Charlie, he is never going to touch you again, I will make sure of that.'_ His voice was rough.

Charlie finally found his eyes again, seeing the protective rage in his eyes.

 _'Yeah, I kind of took care of that already.'_ More strenght in her voice again. 

Her simple reply made his eyes lit up for a moment. Hell of course she did. This was Charlie Matheson.

' _We need to take care of those wounds, Charlie.'_ His eyes were back on her wrists. She needed to be okey.

Charlie sat back on the wooden log, needing some time to understand. To feel. It had been ages since she let somebody take care of her. She was so used to being on her own, taking care of herself and the others around her, that she completely forgot what it was like to be taken care of.

* * *

She felt exhausted, her head heavy, every muscle in her body ached. Her five men were sitting around a fire, a little further ahead.

It had gotten dark, the night sky clear, stars appearing over her head. Connor was already asleep. He had raised an eyebrow when she had walked back into camp with Bass not for behind, but he did not ask any questions. Charlie was close to the fire, almost asleep, a blanket wrapped around her.

Bass had made some bandages from some stuff he had in his back and had carefully wrapped her wrists.

' _I want to check these early morning,'_  he had grunted _. 'Don't be a moron like Miles and take care of yourself Charlie.'_

It had earned him a fast honest smile from Charlie.

' _Get some sleep, Charlie, I'll take first watch.'_ He softly squeezed her shoulder before he broke the contact.

Bass finished his diner. He watched Charlie. Asleep.

Her lips on still on his mind. Her body touching his chest. The way she kept surprising him, the way she had put her life on the line to get him out. What the hell was it with this woman? Charlie turned around in her sleep, the blanket moved, leaving one shoulder exposed.

He put the empty bowl away and walked over to her, covering her again completely with her blanket, one reassuring hand on her shoulder for a second when he saw her tensing up.

When he walked back to his spot by the fire, his eyes were still on Charlie, watching her through the night.

_There were two things on his mind._

_One. He was fucked._

_Two. Miles was going to kill him._

He grinned at himself. Those two thing were nothing new. Might as well see what the fuck would happen. Because damn it. That fucking kiss. That stubborn firing woman.

He placed his ellbows on his knees, his eyes on the surrounding of the camp, his knives next to him, the weight of his gun against his lower back, on alert, guarding their camp, her sleeping form not far away from him.

_Oh, he was so fucked. Seriously fucked._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, as you can see, there was a moment after Vegas, and it included something that showed us a more vulnerable open Charlie. She has been through a lot in Vegas, and it could not have been easy for her. The trailer, the filth, the dress she was forced to wear, knowing she would loose Bass, knowing that and deciding it was enough tos tay and not let him behind. I wanted to have a chapter where somebody noticed what she has been through, and that was Bass...
> 
> Thanks for reading! Love from LOve


	14. I owe you

**I owe you**

The sunrise was slowly warming her face. When Charlie woke up the next morning, her blanket wrapped around her, there was the smallest moment in time her mind told her she had to remember something. The sounds of a new day were slowly reaching her mind, when, with a shock, she  _did remember_.

She remembered his absolutely arrogant face when he had the nerve to talk to her the way he did, when he still thought she had slept with Connor _. Anger_. But then the movie in her head continued. Her blue's piercing into his.  _Challenge._ And then, her mind brought her back to the minute his lips crashed on hers. They way he tasted, the scent of his skin, his hands on her body.  _Desire._

_She had kissed him. She had kissed Sebastian Monroe._

Her lips started to tingle again.

And then a second realisation hit her like a ton of bricks. Something her mind wasn't able to process until now.

 _Bass had kissed her back_.  _Bass had wanted her._

The way he had fel against her, broke new desire out of heard how the rest of the camp was getting ready for the day. She opened her eyes and got up, gathering her stuff for a new day on the road. She was not sure where Bass was. When she readjusted her jacket she felt a sharp pain in her wrists. She forgot about those cuts for a while. It still hurt like hell, with every small movement she made. A reminder of that trailer, a reminder of what almost happened.

She remembered Bass telling her yesterday night he wanted to check on them. He had been there when she woke up when she got drugged in Pottsboro, making sure she was all right, but this was new. This was different. There had been something in his eyes, in his hand that slowly worked on her wrists and bandages. But now, in the pale morning light of a new day, she wasn't sure what to expect. There had been this connection between them, isolated in the darkness of the night before, the adrenaline from everything that happened in Vegas still so very fresh.

But Charlie also knew, everything else was still there. He was still Monroe.

So, she straightened her back, walked past Connor as he greeted her and got up for a new day and decided to ignore the pain when she walked over to the wagon to load her bag onto it. They had to get on the road as fast as possible,on their way to that one familiair safe house.

' _I still want to check those, Charlie.'_

Charlie turned around, his tone had been a little rough, but his eyes were softer than normal. He was standing in front of her. Tall. Leather jacket open. Hand on the hilt of his sword.  _Bass_. In the background she could see her men getting ready, having breakfast and breaking up camp.

She sat down on top of the wagon. Bass stepped forward, his hands quickly at work to assess the cuts. His eyes fixed on her wrists.

' _Keep it clean and refresh those bandages tonight.'_

 _He_ nodded at her, before he walked away.

Charlie watched him walk away. She did not know what she felt first. Disappointment or irritation. There was a lot of both of them.

* * *

Bass had gotten some sleep. Not a lot, but some. Connor had taken last watch, which meant he could get some sleep. He was tired as hell but the moment he had closed his eyes, she was there. Charlie Matheson in front of him.

So she hadn't slept with his kid. The moment he realised that, he felt a deep impulse to take her mouth with his. Charlie had let him close, in a way she had never done before. It hadn't felt wrong. To be fucking honest, it had felt so good. He had his share of thoughts about what it would be like. He just never imagined her to want the same.

But that was yesterday. Today he woke up, knowing damn well that nothing had changed between them. The past was still there, it was still here, everyday.  _What the hell was he doing?_  There had been something between them, something that had been there for quite some time. He wasn't sure when, but he had felt it smoulder under her hate and loathing in her eyes.  _Charlotte._

He wanted more of her, but he also knew that there was a good possibility she would shut him out again, for a hell of a lot good reasons.

But when he walked away from her, after making sure her cuts were looking not as bad as the night before, he could not get her look out of his mind. he could not not think about the taste of her lips, the curves of her body under his hands.

Dammit, Time to hit the road as Charlie's mens started to prepare themselves a little ahead.

* * *

' _Room for one more?'_

Charlie looked at Bass, who was sitting on a tree trunk staring into the fire in front of him. Bottle in his hand. She had given up on the idea of sleep. She should be tired, but there was something that had been seeping through all day that made her wide awake. The tree lines around the spot they choose to set up camp were all dark and calm. The air around them cold as night moved forward.

He nodded at her.

They hadn't talked that much on the road. He wasn't as dark and moody as the day before, but she was hardly able to recognize anything from the man who held her wrists in his hands the night before. The man who tasted and felt like challenge .

It should awake anger in her, but there was something in his eyes, his eyes that followed her during the day, that made her walk over to him, instead of turning her back towards him and get some sleep.

It was the old contradicting energy between their words and actions, and what happened when they locked eyes.

She sat down next to him. It was a clear night, the temperature had dropped fast. There was a small shiver going through her, when she zipped up her jacket to shelter her from the night air. He offered her his bottle. Bass raised an eyebrow at her. Charlie normally didn't drink. At least, he never saw her drink. He watched how she took the bottle in her slender had and how she then put the bottle against her lips, taking a slow sip, before she returned the bottle to Bass. He stared at her lips, although he really fucking shouldn't.

They sat in silence, like they had done so many times before, back on the road back to Willoughby together. Fire, trees, a clear space, the wagon silently not far away and dark sky around the fire. Sounds from the night reaching them.

Bass realised he was about to walk into field of landmines when he opened his mouth.

' _Why the hell did you not walk away?'_

He had to, he needed to know. Charlie's eyes were filled with the flames in front of her.

' _I could have. I could have walked away and have everything I did not have the first time I came to Vegas to kill you.'_

Charlie stared into the fire, aware of his left arm close.

' _I will tell you the same thing as I told Duncan.'_ Her tone was steady. _' I owe you,'_ a small pause between her words , the sounds of the fire filling the air, _'t_ _hat night in Pottsboro,'_ _things could have been so different, if you had not been around.'_

Her fingernails deep into the palms of her hands when the memories of that night hit her.

_Darkness locking her in. The sensation of slowly but surely losing control, loneliness, abandonment, knowing what those men were going to do, their disgusting hands on her else to go._

' _She told me Sebastian Monroe did not know anything about family. About caring about anything more than himself.'_

Bass took another gulp from his bottle, glad she was doing all the talking, because he had a hard time swallowing right now. She turned her head as she spoke again, andher eyes were on him.

_'I told her she was wrong.'_

It was like somebody slapped him in the fucking face. The idea that Charlie said those words in front of Duncan, the meaning in those words, after fucking everything that had happened, struck had been so fucking wrong, she was nothing like Rachel.  _Nothing._

Charlie felt how he almost froze next to her. The lines in his face sharp, his jaws locked.

She waited.

When he finally turned his head towards her, she could see the look in his eyes, the same look that had been there he came back for her at the high school. And just like then, it did something to her that she could not explain. It was a look she hardly ever saw from Bass, but that made something build up in her. His eyes were deeper, softer, really looking at her, seeing almost through her.

He slowly moved his hand towards her until it rested on the side of her head, on top of her hair. He pulled her in closer and he lightly brushed his lips against her.

This time he waited for her.

Charlie leaned in closer, and answered him. Her tongue going over his upper lip when her body fell into place against his side.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14 was the last of the old chapers I had to edit again. From now on, the chapters will be all new ones! I will finish Cupid first this week, with a special surprise for Lemon in the next chapter.. Thank you! Love from Love


	15. River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being here, for another chapter! This chapter is a brand new one! This is the second part of season two, and now Vegas has been the place for Charlie and Bass to get closer, in that 'bubble', they join the others as we move on in the season, with a lot more intense emotions (and Charloe) ahead.

'The hell you are,'  Bass warned Rachel. They had gathered in front of the abandoned shattered building they used for cover. He had enough. Miles was on his left, Connor on the other side, next and just behind Rachel and the old man. And Charlie, she was on his right.

New Vegas was a world away. Yesterday, yesterday she had told him she saved his sorry ass in that dog fight in front of Gould, because she owed him. She had fucking told Duncan that she was wrong about him, that he did know about family.

Charlie Matheson had told Duncan Page she was wrong, about him,  _dammit._  That he did know a damn about family. After ever thing he took from her. And she had no fucking idea how much that meant to him. He did not even know where to start.

Yesterday, they had shared a slow kiss, her chin in his hand, her hair flowing over his fingers, as he had taken his time for her, and she had given that back to him. The camp silent, the kiss as slow and intense as the flames before them. When Connor had stirred in his sleep, she had broken the kiss. She had looked at him, he had moved his hand over her knee, his fingers claiming her leg, before he had to let her go.

That was yesterday. Today they were back into fucking reality. Which meant Miles dragging him of his ass, when he had just sat down for five minutes, to drag him off to some boot camp, where the kaki assholes turned eighteen year olds into soldiers. Two of them made a fucking pathetic attempt to follow them back to their current safe house, when he had been talking with damn pride in his chest about Connor and how the kid fought in Vegas. It had not taken long before Miles and him had them pinned against the ground, brought them back and got into one hell of a discussion about their next move. To hell whit that, he had a right to interrogate his prisoners. Instead they were having a tea party with Rachel and dear old dad.

Even Charlie, who normally gave him hell about just anything, was there, doing her share, helping Miles and him secure those cadets. He had been in yet another tiring boring discussion with Miles, seeing in his brother's eyes what he really wanted to do instead of what his girlfriend was telling him to do, when they had watched Rachel and the old men move out the two cadets, Connor and Charlie standing before them, stopping them, as he and Miles rushed over.

Apparently it was war, but the old man was willing to bring these kids, who were no kids but weapons now, home and hug and cuddle them on the way.

All the shit they had left behind for a week of Vegas, was still there and it was staring him right in the face when the Porter Matheson delegation stood before him. His blood was boiling, his fingers aching to wrap themselves around the old men's neck.

' _I'm not letting you leave.'_  He added, in a low grunt with a edgy warning.  _He really fucking wasn't._

Then the old man made a huge mistake as he looked at him.

' _Then why don't you shoot us.'_  Gene said, an almost mocking tone in his voice.

' _You think I won't?'_   Bass bit out, as he grabbed the old man by his jacket.

God, he swore he was done. Done with playing nice, done with the insults and mocking. Listening to all of them, waiting, listening to the whining. He used to rule a fucking country, and this old men, he was nothing to him. Nothing. Frustration build up and the old desire to kill came back to him as he was so done with all this bullshit. If Miles had not been there, if Charlie had not been there, he would have fucking killed the man.

When he moved towards the old man, he felt how Charlie took a step towards him. her hand wrapped himself around his arm, around his jacket as her other hand landed on his back. Anyone else, he would have fought of, but not her. Not her.

' _Okay, everyone put away your junk._ ' Miles almost yelled, grabbing Bass and shoving him away from Gene with his arm on Bass' chest, close to his neck to stop him. Bass still let not go, his eyes on Gene. Telling him if he would try that again, he would fucking kill him.  _Miles or no Miles._

Charlie looked at Bass. She had seen the change in him, she watched him change. This side of him was always there, on the surface. Even he was crass or moody or kissing her with slow desire in front of a fire in the middle of the night, just only last night, or telling Miles it was her that had gotten those man in a rare display of respect and giving her the credit, or saving her ass.

She knew where he was coming from, she understood. She found herself on the other side of the line of her mom and grandpa. It was war. These were children, teenagers, not even twenty, but they were also weapons. Her instincts, her training, had taught her to see it that way. Doing  _what needs to be done._  To survive.

The man she met in Philly, the man that was paranoid, ready for a kill, calm with deadly intent had wrapped his hands closed to her grandpa's neck right in front of her.

The hand on his arm was there to restrain that man, to keep the General from going too far.

But the hand on his back, just right under trained shoulders, that was there for Bass.

* * *

The cadet somehow found his way to her side of the plant. They were midflight, their whole camp , under attack. After the heated discussion earlier that day, they had been under attack around nightfall.

She saw Bass a little while ago, making his way up the steps, shotgun in his hand. Connor was fighting ahead and she did not see Miles or her mom.

She had been fighting some patriots on her own, she had felt her heart jump when she realised Jason was here They had met on the other side of the building, when she had turned a corner around a rusty car, a memory from the world before the blackout. Her name came from Jason's lips as his eyes were on her, and she had felt something, something of that old girl she used to be when she first met him at another river, many months ago.

But then the fighter in her, the woman she became, took over and knocked him off his feet.

And now she was fighting the cadet, the guy, the kid that Miles and Bass had brought back to their safe house hours before. He had been pushing her towards the back of the building with shattered windows as the river was behind her. He was lethal, programmed for one thing. He kept on attacking. How much she tried to resist, she was having troubles reaching her knife so she could land her final blow.

Her breathing was out of control, losing her focus, her whole body filled with survival adrenaline as she kept on struggling with the cadet. She let a loud scream to empower herself when she hit him once more. She felt how the balance was tipping in her favour, as he went down. But she also felt something lose under her feet. She cursed at herself for not having noticed how close she got to the water, to the river. The ground was more loose here, and she lost her balance. She tried to balance herself again, but it was too late.

Charlie tripped, exhausted with the fight from before, as she noticed she won her match with the cadet, but lost her balance. The sound of the water, as she hit something, felt something cool and wet and she choked in cold dirty water.

She blacked out, tried to push herself away from the water with her final instincts kicking in, before everything turned into black.

* * *

Bass had just knocked Neville of his feet. He stood in front of Tom fucking Neville. Miles told him he was coming, told him about his wife that was taken. The asshole seemed to show up every damn time you were sure you lost the man. But you did not lose Tom fucking Neville. He was like bad weeds with no insecticide to get rid of him. He had kicked his ass, because he might have been here to kill him or drag him to Washington to save his wife or whatever, if it was between himself and Tom Neville's wife,  _screw her_.

On his way from the steel bridge he had fought Neville, he watched how Connor was struggling with Neville junior. Another Neville he bashed himself into, only this time with even more satisfaction. He knew the history this kid had with Charlie. He remembered what the kid did, daring to leave the Militia, ignoring orders, to go after her. Oh, he fucking understood why now, but the idea of him touching her, even so much at looking at her, made his blood boil. So, when he kicked another Neville's ass, dark rage flew through his veins, as he watched the Neville kid go down.

He forced Connor to keep moving, grabbing him by his jacket. They made their way to Miles and the others. He did not see her. He felt a stunned cold wave and the first wave of panic. She was not here. He did not fucking see her. He turned around abruptly as he was trying to find her blonde hair flying as she fought. And then his eyes, they locked with Miles. Above the sounds of gun blazing in the cold night air, he tried to get his brother's attention.

' _Miles!'_  it was a low booming grunt, hovering through the air.

His brother turned his way, as he covered them with his shot gun.  _' Bass, get the hell out of there.'_

_Not without Charlie. Dammit, not without her._

' _Charlie with you?'_ Bass' whole face was on edge.

He watched the realisation on Miles' face. He knew the answer.  _Fuck. Fuck. Double fuck._

He found Miles' eyes again. His brother's telling him all he did not want to hear.

One nod, one exchange. Decades of experience, and brotherhood. Miles turns left, loading his gun, moving every fucking patriot of the way that crosses his path. He yelled at Connor to go into the other direction, find the others, before he turned right.

He shot his way through everyone that stood between him and finding her.

He has circled the building, his eyes now going over the terrain. One more turn. And then he saw her. His insides screamed NO. She was so damn close to the water. Still, so very still. Motionless. Her boots in the wet ground near the river, her hair into the water, her face barely out of it.

He fired another shot, before he reached her. Panic ran through him like the river before him.

His eyes wide in panic.

He moved her neck slowly into his hand, and turned her body away from the cold and the filth and dirt, and towards him, towards his arms. He watched the shallow breathing of her chest, as he watched her.

' _Charlie,'_  he barked, panic in his voice,  _'Charlie, dammit, come on, wake up.'_

Charlie felt hands and arms around her. They were strong and gentle at the same time. She knew who they belong to. She tried to open her eyes, she tried to move. But she was cold. She was so tired.

Bass needed her to not be here anymore. He needed her safe. And as his eyes were wide with panic, his thoughts circled only around one thing. Getting out of here, with her.  _Now._

He found a way through, in the shadows, next to the river, close to the trees. Charlie heavy in his arms. Her face do god damn pale. Her skin so cold as he pressed his face against her, needing, wanting to cover her as much as he can.

He finally found the rest. Or better, the rest found him. A complete hysterical Rachel ran his way, Miles close, shock on his brother's face as well. The old man not far behind which was good, because he needs him to get Charlie the hell out of this state she is in now. Connor looking at Charlie with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Rachel demanded to hold Charlie, as she attempted to grab her from his arms. He tried to gently lower her to the ground, and then Rachel pushed him out.

He was being pushed aside, as hands started to work on Charlotte.

He stood there, rage seeping through.

Bass tried to control his breath, but he fucking couldn't. He watched, enraged, worried out of his damn mind, as Charlie laid there on the forest ground. It was becoming silent around them. Miles kneeled down, close to Charlie, Connor standing just behind him.

He watched with relieve how she finally opened her yes, and Miles took her in his arms. They moved out. Silently. As he walked behind Rachel and Miles, and his only thought was that it should be him, that he wants to hold Charlotte, that he wants to warm her, make sure no one else touches her.

But he couldn't. So he watched her, his eyes on her as he never lets her go out of sight all night as they walk through a dark, cold landscape.

He was still silently seething with rage.

Next to Charlie he had seen the cadet, the cadet he knew was going to be trouble. Of course Rachel, with her holier than thou let's do the right fucking thing went against everything he wanted to do. Which was interrogate that cadet, and made sure he was disabled before he could do more damage. He had wanted to get his hand on that cadet, before it was too late.

It has been that cadet that attacked Charlie.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, that discussion about those cadets. The battle between them all, of doing what needs to be done, and doing what is...right? I always thought about that hand from Charlie on his back, like she was stopping him, but also calming him down? Supporting him? A fast gesture without actually thinking about it but her feelings getting through? I used that here, and in next chapter, there will be more from that intense discussion.
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone, hope you enjoyed this!
> 
> Love from Love


	16. Taking care of her

_**Taking care of her** _

' _How is she doing, dad?'_

' _Better, she needs rest and to stay hydrated. We need to keep that cough under control.'_

' _I'll be outside, getting some fresh air.'_

Bass heard the conversation upstairs. Charlie was there, looking way too fucking pale in a bed. He had not been able to see her since they found this safe house. Miles, Rachel and the old men had rushed her in, as he had held open the door.

They had arrived here later that night, when the sunrise was on its way, leaving the sky dark and everything so damn cold around them. He had checked the perimeter around the house with Connor, gave instructions to Charlie's men now she couldn't.

Charlie had slept for hours. Until the fever came. Until the coughing started. Fuck, he really needed to see her. He had tried to keep his mind on something else. Talked to Connor, checked the area again, offered to keep watch. But his thoughts always spiraled back to her.

When Rachel went outside for a moment, he decided he could not stay the hell away anymore.

Miles was sitting next to her, slumped on a chair, boots on the wooden floor. His brother looked like hell. Of course, his own boots had not even hit the floor or Miles woke up, hands going to his gun. When he noticed him, Miles relaxed. Charlie stirred in her sleep, she was lost in some turbulent fever state of dream. He did not tell him to leave the room.

There was this unspoken agreement about Charlie, since he came back with her to her family to warn them. They would both look out for her.

Bass did not know what the hell to do. He moved to her bed, kneeled down. Her lips were moving in wordless motions.

' _Get some sleep.'_  He said to Miles, his low voice filling the room, making sure not to wake her. Miles gave him a short quick nod. He closed his eyes again, as he moved back in his chair.

He was not good at this shit. Once, he was. He knew how to make his sisters feel better, comfort a friend. But that was many years and a Republic ago. He looked at the ground, his shoulders aching from tension and the fight with Tom fucking Neville. The image of Charlie so damn close to that river, coming back to him.

Bass' hand, so much larger than hers, with worn skin and scars on them, moved to hers. She woke up, only for a couple of seconds. He reached over to her, helping her move, so she could take a sip of water, heavily leaning against him. he held her, and she felt how she did not even fight that. Fuck, he missed her, the fire in her, the fight in her. His lips, they were kissing her warm clammy heated temple without even thinking about not doing that. Then he slowly, gently moved her back.

As Charlie moaned something feverish, he sat there, kneeled down to the bed, guarding her.

_**Three days later** _

' _Can't believe she got hurt Miles.' R_ achel sounded tired when she looked at Miles.

Bass sat down on the couch in the small living when Rachel walked in, Miles leaning against a table across from him. And he could not help himself, and huffed in disbelieve and frustration as he looked at his hands before him.

' _What is it, Bass._ ' She spat the words out, the tone she used to put him back in his place, like he was some stupid child she had to use her extra slow fucking innocent voice for. She took a step closer to him, as he shook her head at her _. 'No, please, just tell me.'_

She took one step closer, and Bass pushed himself of the couch.

' _First it is al hugs and rainbows and they are kids, and when they hurt your kid, when they hurt Charlie, you are fucking surprised they hurt her.. None of this would have happened if we did not waste so much time nagging on and on about this and do what had to be done.'_

' _You mean torture and kill those kids, Bass?'_ Her voice almost condescending.

' _First, they are not kids. They are weapons, trained cadets, trained to kill us._ ' He growled back, his tone a dangerous tone of rage.

' _And second, Rachel,'_ He watched her, making sure she damn well hears what he has to say, _'I can't believe you, you of all people talk about this after you singlehandedly helped this whole world go to hell. Could please stop with this hypocritical bullshit of yours, because lady, I know what you and Ben to this world, to bring it to its knees.'_

He saw the colour go from her fucking face. He knew her secret, he never found out how it had happened. But he knew.

' _Stop this, now.!'_  Miles interfered.

Bass felt the rage going through him. God, he swore he was so sick of dealing with her, the girlfriend from hell standing in front of him.

He took one step back, his eyes still warning her not to push it. He really needed some fucking air. He locked his jaws even further, as he watched Miles, and then her. He was almost out of the door when she opened that mouth of hers again.

' _Oh and Bass'_ a sickening pause _, 'stay the hell away from my daughter, you insecure child. Getting pathetic attention you need, from her. She thinks there is something in you worth saving, but I know the truth. You are the devil on Miles' back and I am not letting you drag him and Charlie in the mud with you._

He let go of the door in his hands, and faced her again.

' _You have got to be kidding me. You know damn well I am not going to hurt her.'_

' _I want you as far away from daughter as possible, Bass.'_

' _Oh come on Miles, you really stand here listening to your girlfriend over here,'_ he fires again at Rachel with his eyes, _' giving me that shit. You know I am right, you know I would never hurt Charlie or else you would have never let me go to Vegas with her.'_

He knew he hit home, because he watched Miles sigh, as he looked away from him.

' _Fine, you keep your mouth shut.'_ He moved his hands on either side of his body to show his frustration.

He pushed the wooden kitchen open with his boot, needing to get the fuck out of there.

It did not take long before Connor and he, found kaki assholes on their doorstep. He watched them, the cadet that had hurt Charlie with his best friends. They were a good couple of miles from their safe house, but Bass knew, his instincts and experiences knew, it would not take them long before they would found out their latest hiding place.

Bass cursed something under his breath, Connor following him as both men made their way back as soon as they could. He was so damn tired of running. But most of all, he knew this meant, they had to move, and Charlie, she was not in any shape to travel.

His boots hitting the ground, in silent curses.

* * *

' _She is not strong enough for this man.'_  Miles said, worry in his words.

Bass watched his brother, he looked still tired as hell, as he showed a rare moment of showing him how much his brother cared about that girl.  _'She can't even walk three feet across the room, she can't do this.'_

' _Then we will carry her, take turns.'_

' _Yeah, because Rachel will really approve of that.'_ Miles said, shaking his head.

' _I don't give a fuck about her, Miles.'_

 _But I do about Charlie..._  the words were unspoken but pressing in the air as Miles watched Bass, watched him a long time with his deep brown eyes exploring him.

Bass pulled a hand over his scruff. ' _We'll figure it out as we go.'_

' _Hey,'_ his voice now lower, as he put a hand on Miles' shoulder, which Miles did not try to shake off,  _'we have been through much fucking worse.'_

' _If you are going to name other cities now, I am really going to be sick.'_ Charlie's voice from the bed.

Her voice sounded tiny and flat, but hell, both him and Miles let out a grin. They would take whatever small piece of the Charlie they both cared for.

' _Then what are we waiting for,'_  Miles said drily, but this time with a bitter dark tired sarcasm,  _'let's get this shit on the road.'_

Miles helped Charlie sit up straight, as Bass gave her her jacket and helped her tie her boots. Charlie did not smile, but her eyes did find his for a moment.

She felt his heavy hand around her ankle, through the boots.

' _Ah look at you two, all playing nurse.'_ She said with the Miles sarcasm.

' _You are lucky you are sick_.' Bass growled, but with no true venom in it.

Charlie watched Bass, giving her a fast effortless wink. It lit up his whole face. Charlie tried to smile, but then she felt so weak again and she had to brace herself not to slump down on the bed.

Bass ignored Rachel, her icy bitchy eyes, her protests. All of her. He stood across the bed where Charlie was laying in.

' _We'll take care you of you, kid._ ' Miles winked at her.

Charlie tried to smile back, but Bass saw how much she was struggling, when Miles wrapped a blanket around her.

Charlie felt how Miles took her in his arms, and she took in his scent now she was so close to him. His stubble against her face. She felt the rhythm of his boots under her. She coughed, felt warm, felt cold, felt miserable.

And then, she felt how she was moved into other arms. The rhythm of boots had stopped. And then she felt it, the cool leather of his jacket. Hands placed a blanket over her. The stubble was replaced by scruff.

' _Snug as a bug in a rug._ ' Bass tried to joke as he made sure she was secure against his chest. Charlie heard him from a far, and realised how funny this should have been, coming from this badass general. She wanted to say something smart ass back, but couldn't.

And then, his lips were close to her ear.

' _Don't you worry Charlie, I've got you.'_ As his warm breath and slow steady rhythm of words reached her, soothed her, she fell asleep, again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, the tension is starting to rise,now Bass and Charlie are getting closer, and it all changes. Rachel is not keeping quiet anymore, which will add to the dynamics here. Between her, Charlie. Between her and Miles. Bass confronting her, was for me opening up on a double standard Rachel sometimes carries with her. That'why that conversation was here. Bass is slowly done with being quiet, with being the silent one that takes all the blame and everything else. Thanks again, for reading, really appreciate it! These are the episodes from season two, but with more and more Charloe added and integrated in there. Hope you will like! Love from Love


	17. Experience

**Experience**

_Four days later_

' _You did not shoot that kid Miles, and now they led them straight to us,'_ Bass said, barely able to hold the irritation out of his voice.

He stood right before a Miles, with the fact written all over his face that he knew.

Rachel walked up, right behind him, asking them in her whiney as fucking ever voice what was going on. He would tell her what the fuck was going on. They found the kaki's right at their old safe house. He was crouched down, watching them, next to Miles, with Connor at the other side of Miles, as he could see it on his brothers face. He knew, Miles knew. They all fucking new. Letting that cadet go came back to bite them all in the ass.

' _The bad news is that the patriots found our last safe house, the good news is that Miles did not shoot the kid, so we can all die with a clean conscience.'_ More frustration in his body was building up, with nowhere to go.

They had a nice little talk, him and Miles after he had walked out after his discussion with Rachel. Talked about what they were fighting for. He had gotten under his skin by asking Miles if he was going to play house with his two girls, Miles had pissed him of about talking about getting back his discount empire with Connor.

The sun was bright, but the tension around them pressed on them in grey. The sky was clear above their new sage house, an old fabric, that was long abandoned. The structure would have to give them any kind of safety and cover for now.

Charlie walked up with her mom, hearing Bass' voice, looking at Miles' face that there was trouble. The fever now gone, and after she slept what felt like days straight, she was getting back to her old self. She was feeling it in her legs, but she was doing better, the cough now almost gone. In this world you had to get back on your feet, fast. Something she had taught her body from early on. She looked at both men, and the Miles and Bass she had observed when she had been so sick and she could not stand on her feet, those men she could easily picture as brothers, as friends, were not there anymore right now. She hardly saw Bass the past few days, her mom always there, circling around her, casting Bass away with a icy look. She did remember tough. The rhythm of his chest when he held her. Her falling asleep against that jacket. His scruff. His scent.

Another discussion, another current of so much from the past, fighting their way back to the here. Connor stood next to her, as her grandpa watched them from a distance.

Charlie watched as her mom was about to say something to Bass, but she was not able to hear any more from her.

She could not listen to another round between her mother, Miles and Bass, she could feel what laid there, right under the surface of things untold and things that were there, lurking from the past.

' _Mom, don't.'_  Her voice sounded still roughed up.

' _Charlie, I..'_

' _No,_ ' Charlie said, firmly again. She looked at Miles, at Bass, at their going over and over this. Miles should have shot that cadet. He knew. She hated this, she did not like to kill if she did not have to, but he was a weapon, a weapon the people they were fighting could use and did use to compromise their safe house and their safety, their lives. This was not the Miles she she got to know on the road here. Her uncle had always,  _always,_  thought her to do what had to be done. Charlie watched the same discussion for days now and she was not able to keep quiet about this anymore. She couldn't.

She then turned to Miles, as she felt Connor's eyes, Her grandpa's eyes and  _his_ , Bass' eyes on her.

' _Miles, I don't know what is going on here exactly, but if this is about your guilt,'_  she looked him right in the eye, as she realised that for the first time, she was calling him out on something, naming something that had been there too long now, without her saying it, before she turned to Rachel _, 'and you wanting to rip Monroe and Miles apart, then we don't stand a chance.'_

Miles looked at her, dark eyes filling with pain and even more guilt as his niece threw a truth in his face that had been there, covered up in too much whiskey.

Rachel looked at her with shock, as her mouth and the lines around it filled with tension.

Connor looked at all of them.

Gene looked at his granddaughter, and then to his daughter.

And Bass, he could not look at her anymore. He swallowed something heavy away as her truth ripped right through him. Charlie never, fucking never, ever, confronted Miles. She was practical. Strong. Moving on. Fighting. But for her, for her to put this in the fucking open, was eating at him.

Maybe he  _could_  tell her, because she was slowly figuring it out for herself.

Then he shoved that fucking stupid idea, just with everything else that involved Charlie, deep away.

Nobody spoke for a while. That was until the old man, suggested they should get help in town. Bass huffed, the same man that had worked with those kaki sons of bitches was now going back for help _. I don't fukcing think so._

' _For the last days, all we have done is run and hide. We've got stick it to them, hit that boot camp.'_ He said, adding more force to his voice.

Charlie looked at Bass, hands before her chest, as she heard the frustration in his voice as he tried to get through Miles. She saw in his eyes, how much he was trying and it should not bother her that much, it should not get to her that much.

' _We don't have enough men.'_ Miles countered.

 _'Because they trippled secirity after you let that kid go.'_ Bass grunted out loud in frustration.

Gene walked passed them. Gun in hand.

' _I am sick of listening to the both of you, bickering like sorority girls. I' m going into town to get that help.'_

' _It's too dangerous grandpa.'_ Charlie countered.

Finally, Bass thought, somebody understanding the one thing he was not saying out loud. He could not care less about the doc, but it was good to finally listen to somebody with a little sense.

' _I'm going with you.'_  Rachel said.

 _Sure, Rachel, you do just that. If it meant he did not have to look at her face for the next 24 hours, he was all fine with just that._ Bass had placed his hand on his side.

' _Yeah, me too.'_  Charlie offered, although her voice was flat.

 _Fucking fucking fucking hell. Was she really saying that?_ Bass stood next to her. Realising there was not a damn thing he could do or say.

So he clenched his jaws, kept his mouth shut and fidgeted with his gun, frustrated out of his damn mind.

In the end of the discussion, Miles offered to go. Bass huffed again at the idea, a dark sting in his gut as he realised what his brother was walking into, as he watched the two men walk away.

* * *

The day moved on, as he watched Charlie. He stood there, against a wall, watching her, being pissed off at her for even considering to go and throw herself in even more danger. He had a shitty day. Whining Rachel, his brother that had not got his head in the game. And now her, about to do another stubborn stupid thing.

When she walked to other side of the building, he followed her. He caught up with her quickly and grabbed her by the arm.

' _You are just that eager to have yourself killed, huh Charlotte.'_

Charlie's pulled back her arm away from his, with fire in her eyes and her face sharp. They stood face to face, the wall from the building giving them cover from the rest.

' _You seriously throwing that in my face, Monroe.'_  She countered the fact that he had just used her full name by throwing his in his face, when he was Bass now in her mind,  _'I am not that eager to die, I just want to do my part.'_

' _By doing fucking stupid things?'_ It was the almost crude in his low rough voice that got to her. So she stepped towards him, tilting her head, as she looked him right in the eyes.

He was right in her personal space. Fuck, something was yelling at the back of his mind when he heard the way he was talking to her. The worry he felt for her transforming in the need to lash out.

' _I am not standing here, listening to YOU giving me a lecture about stupid things. So back off.'_  Her voice was lower too, as he saw how pissed she was, maybe with a flash of hurt in her deep blue eyes.

And just like that, she grabbed her crossbow, as he pressed his lips together in a thin line, and watched as she walked away from him, with an angry sway of her hips.

* * *

_Later that day, three hours after nightfall_

_Duncan was dead. It was resonating on and on in his head._

' _How?'_  He managed to get out, when he felt Charlie let out a breath on her own, as she was standing to his right.

It did not go unnoticed to Charlie, his raspy hurt in his voice as he tried to man up. But it was too late, she had heard it, he had showed her that he did care.

After nightfall it had been Charlie who was checking out the surroundings of their camp with Connor, who noticed a large fire on the horizon. After they had checked it out, it turned out that her men recognised the other men and woman before her. They were Duncan's Page group.

_Duncan was dead._

And now Bass was standing in front of Scanlon, one of the men closest to Duncan, listening to how kaki's blew her face right off. Listening to how the guy basically offered them what was left to fight with them. With him. Scanlon had recognised him, and he felt the slow pull of leading men again, he felt recognition for his leadership again. He stood there, meeting the younger man, accepting his offer.

Charlie heard the Scanlon guy being a puppy begging for Monroe's attention, basically begging to lead them again. It was kind of stupid, she thought to herself. They were discussing what to do, and how they would follow Monroe. That was the moment, Bass turned to her.

His eyes mocking, challenging.

' _After all, you need a leader with experience.'_

And then, the asshole let his eyes roam over her tank and breasts, making her tilt her head, firing go to hell with her eyes and the insult at what she did not have. Which was years of experience leading men _. Childish asshole_. He stood there, beaming with arrogance and pride, now he had found twenty people that were willing to follow him. Charlie locked eyes with him, as Bass held them casually.

After that, Charlie moved to get her stuff as she moved her mind into battle mode. Not much later, they were ready to attack that camp Bass had wanted to hit. He stood there, in front of his son, looking at Connor, nodding at him.

' _We are moving out.'_ Connor's voice beamed through the air.

They did move out, and the attack was brutal and fast with Charlie right behind him, her hair flowing through the night as she fired shot after shot. Bass got lost into the old pattern of only one thing on his mind, killing them before they killed you and walk away with the victory in hand.

When it was all over, and he put the last man, laying before him, out his misery, he found her eyes. She had just moved from a tent, Connor right behind her. They always looked for the other, in battle, something from very early on, as he had locked eyes with her in an abandoned high school, but this time, he found something else waiting for him there. It was like their connection had gotten a blow, and she looked almost so sad, so lost, as she tore her eyes away from him. She walked away from Connor, who had been standing next to her as she moved away from him, his gun in hand, the taste of sweat and blood on his lips as he wiped them away with his hands.

* * *

A bottle later, a blow right in his face from Miles' later,  _good to see you too brother_ , they had gathered around a fire. They had found intel that told him the cadets were on their way to Austin. When Scanlon gave Miles attitude, Miles had gotten up from the log he had been sitting on, towering over the younger and smaller man.

Charlie watched Miles, as she felt Bass' eyes close. The blood on his face, just like on hers. She had been scrubbing it of her skin, when her mother had found her, with another speech. Charlie was getting tired, so tired of all of it, people judging her, people looking at her, when there was so much they had to look at themselves. She had gone along with the attack because she would stand her ground. Her mother tough had made it, about Monroe again. And although Charlie would fight next to him, even if he was an asshole, because she did that from the very start, it was not because of him she went. Because maybe nobody got this, but from the moment her mom had left her with Danny on a road, she had went into a mode, when surviving and keep on going and never stop fighting became her mantra. And now, her mom somewhere at the back of camp, she found herself with Miles and Bass, who included her in this meeting.

She did not know how it happened, but all of sudden Bass was stepping in front of and away from her, his gun firmly in hand, his hands wrapped around the weapon. She looked at where he was pointing the gun.

' _Jason?_ ' She let out his name without thinking.

And there, at the other side of camp, Jason Neville had his gun against Connor's neck, walking him into their camp.

' _Let him go._ ' Bass growled at Neville, pushing dark fear of losing his son, his blood, that was pumping through his ears and veins, his instincts kicking in of protecting what was his. His gun firmly trained on the Neville kid, as Miles stood there, doing the same.

' _It was the only thing to get through the door_.' Jason explained as he slowly moved his gun away from Connor, letting him go. Bass put a ressuring hand on Connor's shoulder as he moved in front of his son. His gun still at the Neville kid.

She stood there, right next to Bass, Miles next to him, Scanlon and her mother behind them, listening, looking at the guy that once showed up in her life that felt a lifetime ago. They shared a look. He was here, he showed them the tattoo under his eyes. She felt a low shock in her stomach, knowing the amount of trouble he was in. Jason told them he wanted revenge. He wanted to join them for revenge. She let out a huff of air, not believing his words as her mind kept on whispering.  _Jason, he was here_. Old feelings came back that felt out of place now.

' _You are joking right?.'_ She sounded agitated, her eyes fixed on Jason, as he looked at her. Realising that her uncle and Bass were serious,  _'After all the times he screwed us over.'_

' _She does have a great point,'_  Miles said drily.

' _I know she does._ ' Jason said, as Bass did not like one second of the way he looked at Charlie. Fucking again. His puppy voice annoying.

' _I know I am asking for a lot. And if I step out of line one inch, than just shoot me.'_

' _Seriously?'_  Charlie said.

' _This kid could come in handy,_ ' Bass did not look at her, just at the kid before him, his hands moving subtlety around his weapon, tension running through him.  _'Well, it's like he said. He makes one wrong move, we'll shoot him.'_  Bass voice was low, meaning every fucking word of it., his eyes on the Neville kid, feeling every part of Charlotte so damn close to him.

After they had cuffed Jason, Charlie realised she did not want to look at his face, she did not want to stand next to a smug Bass and an uncle that considered working with the guy that had screwed them over so many times now. She walked away, shaking her head, feeling Jason's eyes on her.

* * *

Bass let the whiskey burn in the back of his throat. He had watched the Neville kid look at Charlie, as she had walked away. He had meant what he said. He would not let him get away with anything, he would not let him even near Charlie. They had secured him, making sure the kid was not going anywhere.

This time Bass followed her again as his eyes were on her, a bottle in his hand as his eyes narrowed as he watched her move, as she moved away from the group. He was done with the eyes the Neville kid made at  _his_ girl.

It was time to  _make_  her his as he needed to see, feel and hear her as he was about to show her who she belonged to. And that was certainly not to that fucking Neville kid. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think you all understand what will happen in next chapter :) Hope to meet you there and thank you for reading! Love from Love


	18. Night and day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the reviews, I'm so happy with them! :) Today a new chapter!

 

_**Day and night** _

Charlie had to walk away to find herself a quiet corner just at the edge of camp right before the line of trees. Done with the day, needing some time to gather herself and her thoughts as the men and woman of their group sat around fires in the camp. Done with the fact that her uncle and Monroe both had agreed to take Jason up on his offer. Done with his smug arrogance. Not done with him, and wasn't that the part that was bothering her the most. She should be done with him, she really should.She rested her head against the wall of the building behind her. The sounds so close, yet here in the cool dark everything faded.

Unpredictable. One moment he was the guy that took care of her, his leather jacket against her cheek, the other moment crass, arrogant, power-hungry.

She heard him before he saw her and she turned around, ready to counter anything that would come out of his mouth. She was angry, pissed, and if he wanted to be Monroe, than she had a perfect escape for all those bottled up feelings.

She had not expected his mouth to be on hers, his firm lips grabbing hers, a slow kiss, that was swirling into a deep one, as his hand was on her back, one hand in her hair and he had pulled her close, and her boots of the ground.

Bass saw her, those blue eyes of her lighting up with anger in the dark. But hell, he was not here to talk. He was here for her. All of her.

Her hands moved under his jacket, and found strong shoulders and hard chest.

His mouth, his lips played with her ear.

' _I am going to fuck you, like no one ever fucked you before Charlotte.'_ His words dangerously hoarse.

Her body, reacting, went straight to his ego and his cock.

His knee was pressed against her clit, as his leg stood strongly between her legs. But it were his words that shocked her awake, with every roughly whispered word. It was a gentle and rough promise all in one, as he placed a more gentle kiss on her neck. Her blue eyes met his, although they were half closed. Lust, desire, want, need, surprise, shock, all written in them.

' _Take me...'_  It was all that Charlie managed to get out, as her hand wrapped themselves around his cheeks, his hair. Her whisper got lost in another kiss, but for her to ask him to fuck her, shot straight t his cock. Because he would. He would take, make, her. Make her his.

He started with the bra under her tank, opening it with one subtle movement of two fingers. Then he moved on to the rest of her. All his.

Bass could not take his eyes away from her as smooth tanned skin was close now under his fingers, and he exposed all that skin, all those smooth curves. Her shoulders. The smooth line from her shoulders to her chest. To those amazing firm tits which weight he held in his hands now. Charlie felt them, pressed herself deeper into his touch. With ever piece of clothing, he conquered more of her.

Stars were in the night sky above them, in their dark corner away from everything else.

From his tits his eyes went to her hips, to the smooth calves and all muscles from long days right beside him in this fucking endless battle. Fuck he had watched her so many god damn times, and here she was, all of her, right before him, every inch within touching reach.

Charlie felt like he was already touching her wherever his eyes went.

She watched how Bass pushed his tongue against his teeth as she was ready to open the button of his jeans. Lust in his face as she found what she needed,. She wrapped her hand around, soft skin, when he was hard under it, hard, dripping with anticipation as she moved that wetness and his hardness in her hands, earning her low growls as he looked where her hand was around him.

The sight of her hand around his damn cock made him even fucking harder. And impatient. With one strong hand on her back he moved her to soft ground.

The sight of her wet and tight and soft pink lips as he moved her legs, drove him away from thinking about anything else than Charlie. Under him. Needing him, wanting him.

His pants were now around his boots, as Charlie lay there before him, covered in faint light from the night.

With the men close he knew they had to be quick and fast. But he was going to take this slow. Charlie had circled her hands and arms around his head, giving her leverage for what she knew would come next. His eyes talked to her. She talked back, using only blue to reach lined up his cock. The head of his cock felt her first and he cursed something as he slowly felt the resistance of her wet tight lips, as she drove him more towards herself.

He drove into her again. As she demanded more, her hands, her sweet warm hands around his face, pulling him closer. He was rough, maybe too rough, but when he finally had her, fuck, he would not let her go. And outside, somewhere out there, that fucking Neville kid was cuffed, and here he was , burying himself inside of her. Months and fucking months of getting his raw lust for this girl under control and finally he could give in. To her. An almost cynical grin escaped from his lips, a fast smirk, filled with need and the fact that she was his.

Another moan.

He tilted his hips. Hitting a new angle.

Another moan, so fucking deep and hot he stopped, with himself buried halfway in her. They locked eyes, as her heated face, her heated eyes stared into his.

Maybe they were fighting, frustrations needed to be settled, maybe they were fucking. Or maybe it was even something more. What Charlie did know, is that he needed to stay inside of her, stretching her with all of him. She needed to feel hard muscles.

She needed to feel how he effortlessly held her.

 _'Bass..fuck you feel so good'_  an out of breath whisper.

By hearing his name, between her husky breaths, her tits bouncing against his chest, causing friction that made him loose his damn mind, he pushed into her deeper again.

She needed to feel more of how every thrust of him made her come closer to release.

 _'You want more, Charlie?_ ' He whispered hoarsly in her ear, with a smug arrogance, so sure, that it should offend her, but it made her only push herself more to the uninvetable.

' _God, yes..I'm going to...going to come...'_  she pushed her body against him, wanting him to push her ever further down into the ground.

Bass used his boots against the ground to fuck her deeper, as he watched how Charlie started to come right under him, as he pushed inside of her one more time.

She claimed his cock around him, as he felt how tight she got, and another wave of tight almost pushed him over too. With the last self-control he had, he pulled out, as he buried his face in her neck, the weight of her tits piercing in his chest and he came over smooth skin of her belly.

The evidence of his warm fluids on her skin, so close to her waist. Monroe's body still all over her, as she disappeard under muscles and skin and sweat and leather, like he wants to hold her there forever.

Bass did not want to move just yet as he watched her, and he closed his eyes for a second, the catch his own breath, after he felt her come and he came so fucking hard.

Her eyes stayed on his. This was wild, and raw and fast and slowly intense all at the same time. It was a challenge, a collision of looks and energy. Charlie told herself it was just a great fuck, and nothing more, and she could almost believe that herself, believe it, until Bass shifted over her, the moonlight hit his eyes as he watched her. His thumb slowly brushing her skin, right under her ear, touching her neck.

' _You okay?'_   Bass said in a low tone, what just happened still raspy and palpable in his words.

She nodded. Smiled faintly, as he kissed her.

When her clothing was all around her again, he towered over her. One hand on the wall behind her, one last kiss. And then, he grabbed her wrists, and Charlie watched how her mark got kissed by him. Bass.

She fell asleep with the memory of hard throbbing sweet raw surrender under him.

Tomorrow they would lock eyes before he would get on the wagon. H

Tommorw.

Austin.

Tomorrow they would ride for Austin.

* * *

_Snap out of it, this is not you._

_Charlie heard herself, three stories high in an abandoned building in Austin, tiles from decades ago lose on the ground between books and empty shelves around her as she grabs weapon closer, her fingers already on the trigger as she knows, she begs, she cries, she prays she does not have to do this._ _No one answers._

* * *

His heart was beating so fast, but he could not hear it over the sickening thought of her, somewhere up there. With him.

They had met up with Frank fucking Blanchard here in Austin, and finally found somebody who was willing to help him. Which was kind of a good thing, especially after Miles and himself once tried to kind of shoot old Frank. They had left Willoughby behind, as he had watched a pathetic Miles saying goodbye to Rachel like they were some kind of married couple now, and he had watched Charlie in the back of the wagon, while the Neville kid sat not far from her. He had told Connor to keep an eye and a gun on the Neville kid and that was exactly what his kid did. He had not been able to talk to her since he had her under him the night before, but he could still smell her, her hair, her skin, her so damn close. One eyelock later he knew she did too.

They had found the cadet, the cadet Miles let go, standing on a fucking stage as the president of Texas was about to hold his speech. And probably dead soon because of the cadet. But his eyes were not trimmed on that asshole. He had watched the kid watch Charlie, him way too fucking close. In that boat, to cross the river over here, he held felt his eyes on her. He had waited a damn second, as she had taken his arm to balance herself. Feeling her close, the light weight of her hand on his jacket.

His eyes had been trimmed on Charlie, who had walked into a building across the square. After Jason fucking Neville went in there first, seconds before that. He had moved through the crowd that had gathered for the speech, pushing everybody out of the way with his broad shoulders and intense eyes that stood in his way.

He took two steps at the same time, as he pushed himself through the staircase of the former library of Austin. His gun right before him, moving through and scanning the staircase with narrowed eyes. Where the hell was she?

As he walked into the room his brain tried to process all the things that happened there at the same time In the far back of the room, Charlie was pleading, begging Jason neville to snap out of it. She had blood on her face. Tears in her eyes. And a loaded shotgun in her hand.

The Neville kid was hovering over her, a knife the size of Charlie's underarm, in his fucking hand.

And then, right there in that silent room, the firing sound of the gun echoed through, reaching his eardrums, just fucking second before he had a clear shot himself. And he watched the Neville kid crash to his knees as Charlie pushed herself over to him, getting on her knees, moved over to him, catching him.

His first instincts was to get to her. But he could only do one thing. He watched her.

Clinging on to the kid with her arms around him as he realised this he was looking at himself and Emma, on another day, in another town.

His mouth opened, as tears dared to blur his vision. His eyes were on her, crying and lost, on the blazing love and care she was giving the guy in her arms, when it was all left she could do.

Outside, the square filled with another shot, screams an panic. But the silence in the room was overpowering.

Unable to let go, not wanting to let go, not wanting to acknowledge this was the last time she would hold him. After he had hoovered in the air, she had wanted to get to him, as her arms protected him, her arms around his neck and hands around his face to catch him. What did she do. The echo haunting her of what she did. What did she him. Remembering him as he was there. She shot him. God, no. She cried, cried so hard it hurt her lunge as her crying twisted into numbness and she could not keep apart where the crying began and she started. She just held on to him, knowing she did want to let go of him, as these were the final seconds where Jason would be here. He was so motionless, his tall body, his shoulders resting in his lap as she knew he had left.

She kissed him with loving strength on his temple, praying he would feel it, knowing he would not be alone, here, where it would end for him.

 _It was his shot to take. His._ Bass watched Charlie broken in front of him, her eyes hollow and now on the kid in her lap, her fingers gently tracing his forehead.  _His shot, dammit, his._

He crouched down next to her, just behind her, careful not to touch the kid.

' _Charlie..listen to me...'_  his voice was low, creaking, he was not sure she listened.

Charlie knew it was him. She had grown to know him, as she knew Bass was here. He was here.

She knew what was going to happen _. No._

' _We have to go. I have to get you out of here.'_ His voice was husky and shaken at the same time. He did not want to sound cold and the psychopath she once confused him off. But hell, they had to go. Keep on moving. The marine in him woke up. Move. Go. Keep her safe.

_No._

_No._

Nobody could take her away from this place.

He knew the city would be flooded with rangers soon, and she had to go, with him, as fucking far away as they could. But he knew, how much he would move her away from here, this, it was already in her, forever. And that, only that thought, made his breath come out in a harsh one.

If she could not move, he would have to be that strength for her. He slowly moved her hands away from Jason.

' _No...'_  she said, almost sounding aggressive through her tears, but her eyes never left Jason.

_His men pulling him away from Emma._

' _No',_  a sob, a cry a painful scream that was muffled because there was no more fight left in her.

He tried to get a grip on her.

Fuck, every fucking movement was a raw shot though his chest. She was strong, her hands jammed around the kid now, but he had to be stronger. He moved a hand over his scruff before he took in a breath and took her hands ,determined not to let go anymore. He took her body in his arms, and when her sobs almost were too much, as she started to panic, he gently moved her hands away from the boy as he placed her against his chest, circling her with his arms.

And then, he moved her away and Charlie could only be limp in his arms, because she could not move. She would not move, away from him. He took her, but she would not move. The sounds around her, so weird. The room scaring her with its weird light as she watched Jason, as she knew she would have to leave him behind, leave the city behind and leave him behind.

The boy she once loved, did not became a memory, he became her second brand of guilt.

* * *

Bass held her with her back against his chest, his arm around her waist, as he pushed the door of the library open with one hand, his gun now in it again. Miles, he had to find Miles. Miles. Connor. Get out of the city. Now.

Not much later Charlie stood on her feet, as Bass forced her to keep on moving. His sound was firm and strong and he had her to keep on moving. She let him, she could only go where he took her.

As Charlie stumbled outside the building right next to him. Miles found them, holding Charlie's chin in her head.

' _What happened?'_  He said.  _'Charlie...Charlie_ **.'**  he tried to shake her out if it.

Then he looked at Bass, and as he shook no, Miles knew. Knew what his niece had lost today. She had not only lost Jason, but also another piece that was her.

Another piece that was the vibrant four year old from a life and city ago, had gone, crumbled, away.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contained so much intensity; Charlie and Bass finally shared that one thing...but then Austin came, and so much happened there too. Of course more in next chapter! Thanks for reading! Love from Love


	19. Knowing what you know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More in my notes about this chapter! Love from Love

**Episode 19**

* * *

Day one, she was being held and pounded by the man that could break things free in her, as she came under him, and he became something that he should not become, his strong grip around her, asking eyes revealing so much more.

Day two, she shot the man she once loved. Once, because she was just a girl then, but it was real. Over. But real. And there.

Day three. Miles left her, taking the wagon to lead the Rangers on their back on a goose chase around the landscape before Willoughby.

Charlie was pissed. And worried. Her uncle had told her to go back to her mom with Bass and kid. One their way from Austin, Rangers had been closing in on them on horses as they came over one hill behind them, as Connor used binoculars with Bass to assess how many they were. Her hands had been on her weapon in her lap, the cold steal melting into her hands. Hands with blood. And since Miles did not want to kill them all, because they needed Texas on their side, not against them, he had led them on some goose chase. The idiot just did not make it back.

Austin was behind them. The moment Miles had sent her back to her mom, she had woken up from some strange state, the fighter in her waking up again.

The men had been silent all the way back. They were close. But silent. Until Miles gave her a pep talk she really did not needed to hear. And Bass told her Neville would come and kill her now, he was sitting back to her, as she could hear his voice in her chest. She knew he was saying that to justify Miles and him killing the son of a bitch, but his words sounded so crude to her and he was so different than the man that had come for her in that building, that had removed her hands gently away from Jason. Who pushed her to keep going, with his tall presence behind, next to of before her. Miles close, Connor at the back.

Bass had moved her out of that building. Some images of that afternoon coming back to her, but she moved them out, those memories. Too soon. Too much. Right now there was just s circle of endless nothingness.

And now, as she was walking through an abandoned landscape, now daylight came and announced another day without Miles, Bass in front of her, her mom next to her. She heard her last words to Miles.

 _'_ _I will ride shotgun.'_  She had gotten up from her place in the wagon, as she watched the rangers were closing in, Bass and Connor behind her.

_'_ _You go back to your mom.'_

_'_ _Miles, Don't shut me out like this.'_ Her voice flat but firm at the same time.

_'_ _Kid, you..'_

_'_ _No, stop with the kid. I am not a kid.'_ Her voice serious, a hint of rage.

_'_ _You guys get out of here, now.'_

Miles had looked at her and then he yelled at the horses to go. She had looked at Miles. Just like her dad, her last words to Miles had been angry ones, spoken in anger, not reflecting what she felt for him, just like her fight with Ben before things all changed did not reflect how much she had cared for her father.

Bass stopped before her, at a place where their current path ended. His shoulders in that jacket as a broad presence before her.

 _'_ _So, tell me genius where did he go.'_  He turned her way, but did not look at her.

Fuck it was cold. These temperatures were not good for his brother, somewhere out there. He was already freezing his ass off.

He was worried out of his damn mind. Miles was though, his brother would make it. When he had watched Charlie leave the camp with Rachel, he could not let her go alone., even after a biting remark from his own son, to go and find his boyfriend.

 _'_ _You know I can't track over pavement.'_ Her voice was raw with concern and her frustration about him being an ass. She knew he was worried, so was she, and the level of him being an asshole was high, they were on edge.

 _'_ _So you are good, but not that good.'_  He insulted her. God, he heard himself, but it was like the fear of losing his brother, the one family he had left, the one that knew him, knew him before, pushed all his other feelings away. He couldn't.

 _'_ _Okay, we'll split up.'_ He nodded shortly to the directions that lead away from their crossroad position.

Charlie could not bother anymore with looking at him,  _unpredictable,_ as she changed directions and moved out, her pack over her shoulder, hair flowing in the cold bitter wind.

* * *

_4 hours later.._

Bass was seething with rage, Charlie could see it in his shoulders, in his whole body, in the fingers that were piercing at her mom.

She felt weirdly light, the place on her skin, where she had felt Neville's gun earlier tingling, hurting, burning. The memory of the sound of his gun on repeat in her mind. Telling herself she was alive. Alive. Not believing it herself. Alive. And then, she heard them. She heard voices. And through the numbness something else was piercing through.

_She knew those voices._

She stood behind trees. She saw how her mother and Bass stood downhill, on a small path flowing through the yellow bare landscape.

_'_ _Why did we come here?'_

_'_ _Because this is where Miles would have gone.'_

_'_ _Because you are an expert on Miles?'_

She walked right into a hate filled discussion.

She heard Bass scoff  _'You want to do this now.'_ They were standing right in front of each other. 'Fine,' she watched how Bass threw his pack on the ground.

_'_ _You are a hypocritical bitch and you are grinding him into the dirt. With all your whining, your nagging about doing the right thing, The right thing? You? Where the hell do you get off with that? Because, lady, I know you. You're a screw driver wielding psychopath.'_

' _Oh, so you know me? You know Miles, everybody?'_ Rachel moved closer into his personal space, her voice the sound of a lioness staling her prey.

' _That's right,'_ he shot in her face, when his voice was filled with anger that was now pumping through his veins.

' _Because I know you, Bass, you insecure child. You are taking down Miles into the mud with you, because you can't bear the be alone. You are that pathetic.' S_ he almost spit out the words at him.

' _If I am that pathetic, and you are so good... explain to me that night in Philadelphia.'_

 _'_ _Stop it!'_  Another voice _, her voice, r_ eached him like ice.

She had to be there for a long time, because she stood there, nailed to the ground, eyes watery and shocked and so very hurt. She stood with her shoulders slumped, obviously in pain, but it where her piercing eyes that went straight for his. And just like that, she broke through, and she was there.

Charlie felt herself spin with horror and hurt and disappointment and betrayal.

 _'_ _Mom, what is he talking...'_  But she did not finish her words, because one look at Rachel told her enough.

_'_ _Charlie...'_

But Charlie did not let her finish.

_'_ _So, when we were trying to survive after you left us on that road, you were in Philly. In bed with him?'_

She wished those stupid tears would go, because the only thing she wanted to feel was anger. Not hurt. Not letting out how much this hurt her.

_'_ _You blamed me for bringing him back, you called me the naive and stupid one for bringing him back when you slept with him?'_

The venom and wrongness in her own words, in putting her thoughts into words were almost too much.

 _Ah fuck_. Bass closed his eyes for a second. Looked at the ground in shame and filled with guilt. He knew he should have told her, before, before everything between them started, before...  _fuck._ She was pissed, but most of all, she was hurt, he could hear it in her every word. And although it gave him every fucking satisfaction to put Rachel in her place, seeing Charlie getting hurt because of that, here and now, drove him to his knees at the same time.

_'_ _And now you are here, holding some kind of who know Miles better contest with the man that knows him for what? Decades? Letting your jealousy come before maybe giving him a change of finding him? They are brothers mom, best friends, knew each others basically since they were born, but you know what is right, here? You know exactly where Miles would have gone?'_

The part of Charlie's brain that processed something about Philly was in sweet denial, when she was focussing on what enraged her.

 _'_ _Charlie, I...'_ Bass tried, feeling damn pathetic that her words of supporting him and shutting her mom up, meant something good to him in this beyond messed up hell.

Charlie moved more towards him, with fury in her eyes.

 _'_ _No, Bass.'_  His name, but with dark bitter hurt, her devastating blue eyes looking straight at him.

 _'_ _You were a son of a bitch to me there at that crossroad and I did not split up, so you could...I did not.. '_  the memory of Neville's gun at her face, the way he had shoved her around that room, as she had moved him away from camp, she tried to hold it all in.

_'_ _Charlie, what do you mean?'_

_'_ _I...Neville knows, he is here. Telling me to bring him back to you, to Miles. To everyone. I could not do that, could not risk that. So, I brought him to an old safe house.'_

Bass felt panic. Neville alone with Charlie was bad news.

 _'_ _And you, are here, with my mom, having this stupid childish discussion,'_   _that night in Philly resounding_ through her head,  _'when Miles is out there, fighting for his life.'_  Her words were dark and ice but heavy drops of tears started to escape. She could not to this, she could not fight them all, find Miles, this.

Bass took another step forward but before he could reach her she shoved him so hard in the chest that he stumbled back a bit.

 _'_ _No!.'_ She was close enough to see her tears, Bass looked at her in shock, as she almost fell too but regained her balance. Her hand going to her ribs for a second. He wanted to reach out, but he knew he was so fucked.

So they were back here, where he was Monroe, and she told him to go to hell.

They were turning into something real, slowly. He had been close to tell her about it all, a night of nothing and drunk mistakes before it could mean anything to hurt her, when Charlie had picked up on Rachel trying to drive him and Miles apart.

He had to stay quiet, knowing damn well what Rachel was playing it, why Miles and Charlie needed to be as far away from him as she could manage. Because there was a truth out there, from years ago, that would ruin her precious way she wanted to be seen by Charlie, Miles. Everyone.

One night, years ago, when she had initiated something, he had junmped right in, but she had played him, used him, used that part in him that wanted to desperately to hold on to some part of his brother.

He knew that morning after they had to flee from yet another fucking safe house, Charlie had seen it, al along, Rachel shoving herself between Miles and him. He could have told her there. The truth, before it could turn into this. But he had been a coward.

And fuck, he did not want to hurt Charlie. How much he wanted to hurt Rachel, he hated to see her hurt, knowing Rachel with him that night, only broke more of her memory she had from her dad, from Ben.

And he could not believe some quick night, some meaningless night with Rachel, had made sure it was all destroyed on this afternoon. So, the bitch still got what she wanted in the end with her bullshit.

Charlie turned away from him. Bass grabbed his pack, as Rachel did the same. Charlie did not speak to him for the rest of the day.

* * *

_**Midnight** _

Ellbows on his knees, no brother, no Charlie, not enough damn booze, to fade out the monsters, a fire, knowing exactly where Charlie was.

 _You go find your boyfriend._ Connor.

 _You are that pathetic. You insecure child._ Rachel.

And then,  _Charlie's eyes, Charlie out there with Neville. Without him_. After everything that had happened.

He took another gulp of his whiskey. No idea where Connor was, which was a good thing, because there was a good change he would punch the kid in the face. No idea in hell how he could ever, fucking ever, make this right.

Charlie was sitting in front of a fire, but the flames reached her, but could not warm her. The feeling of being alive, after she brushed with Neville before. The feeling of knowing Miles was out there, alone. Hopefully alive. The feeling of hurt of knowing something that she maybe knew for a very long time now, that somehow always been a possibility with her mom and Monroe in the past. But most of all, feeling of knowing that when she moved Neville away from the people she cared about, her mother and Monroe had engaged in some childish discussion, when this day, should have been all about Miles.

The night was too silent and long for them both as they were staring in the flames that were burning in front of them. Neither of them remembering when it was the last time they did not sleep around and shared on fire.

And somwhere out there, Miles had carved 'I'm sorry in the wall of a basement he had crashed in, after he was looking for something to aid with his wound, one of the rangers gave him. He looked at the words, thinking about the people he wanted to see, with the last words he could sent into the miserable world.  _I'm sorry._

His mind on Rachel. On Charlie. On Bass. OUt there, of out of reach, as he stared into darkness, with noone else with him in this dark hour, beside himself.

One night, three people, isolated . Bass flooded with the possibility of losing them all. Charlie pissed, hurt, but so alive at the same time after neville. And Miles, trying to decide of he should give up on this whole fucking mess.

Three people, one night.

But with the first strip of sunrise on the horizon, but just far enough for them out of reach now , as the coldest hour of the night approached.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can hear you, but Love, this is a Charloe season two. You have no idea how hard it was to write that scene, but because this is season two, and some of the story is there, I had to touch this part because it is an explanation for all of Rachel's' whining and trying to break apart Miles and Bass', something that motivated her actions. Maybe you have felt that 'in between the lines. It"s not only the past, but also Rachel's guilt that fuels her actions. Bass confronted her here, sick of it. But he is also sick of Charlie finding out like this. I decided to keep it, to show Rachel is not perfect either, to show her Bass can confront her too. Maybe because Bass has more people around him know, he feels he can do that know, sick of keeping quiet. Sick of being the one that gets all the crap from everyone.
> 
> So that was episode 19..big sigh, big breath! Moving On, shall we? Remember: Charloe season two. 
> 
> Until then! Love from Love
> 
> Ps: When Charlie yelled stop it, it could have been me, in front of the tv, that day :)


	20. A new day has come

She had fallen asleep. Not next to Bass. Not next to Miles. Not in between the shield both men would provide for her. Alone. Bass out of reach, not because she could not feel his eyes on her, but because she pulled back that wall, and she let him move back to being Monroe on the other side of the wall. And Miles, out of reach. Not because she did not want to give up hope, but because the camp was too empty without his sarcasm, his dark reassuring eyes and whiskey close.

And on day three, she had found him. A sign of life late that morning, that brought tears to her eyes as she screamed for the others. Moving next to her uncle, covered in blood and black and his hand grabbing hers, she cried tears of relieve.

They moved him back to camp, Bass never leaving his side. They reached camp, her grandpa rushing to them to give him all the help he needed and they could give him. And only then, when she knew he was there, with them, he was back, and he was not leaving her, she moved away from him as Gene asked her to give him space to work on him. Outside the tent they had equipped with all the things they had to provide medical care here on the road, she watched him. His face harsh, his eyes on Miles, and then on her as she walked out. They shared a look even with everything there.

Charlie was exhausted. Days of searching, no rest, almost no sleep and little food or water where now taking its toll on a tank that was already empty and numb inside of her. She felt tears she did not want to cry now as she watched Bass.

She could see the world of fear of what could have been in his eyes.

She took a step, another step. Her world grey, so tired.

And then, she moved her forehead to his chest as she felt how he froze for a bit. His arms moved around her, in a gentle circle, his hands on her hair as they stood there, hearing her own breath back in the hollow between his shirt and her mouth.

She could feel his heart beat wildly until she could not bear this anymore. And she let go of him.

She found a quiet place, curled up. Moving into Sleep.

* * *

Bass had watched her. Falling asleep in a quiet corner of camp. He would sit there, as long as she would sleep. He would not risk anything, not with many men in camp.

Fuck, he had felt relieve when it was Charlie's cry through the landscape, rushing over to her side, to find her next to his brother. He had helped Miles, carefully, brining his brother back to their camp. He knew he was a tough son of a bitch but he also knew time was running out.

Of course, when the old man was working on him, Rachel had pushed him out with loathing. And of course, she had every right to be there, and he was pushed out. Again. Because, hell, he was always the big bad guy. But her precious Miles. Everything for him. Was he the only one that knew his brother had done kind of the same as he did? Just because he had left early, did not erase all he did.

Charlie had been standing on her last feet, as she had rushed Miles back into camp. He had seen it, but she never searched for his eyes. She had closed off. Until that one moment, when she had walked out of the tent they had placed Miles in. She was waving on her knees, her eyes so exhausted as she had found him, and for one moment she had placed her warm forehead against his shirt, and he had her, for just a moment.

He had fought for Miles, he had fought for his kid. And now he would fight for her,  _dammit._  He knew he was about to walk into hell, but he had to try as he watched how she woke up and she stared in front of her.

The walk over to her, felt like a fucking hour, before he stood before her.

 _'_ _Hey,'_ his voice sounded fucking low and pathetic and he cursed at himself for just that.

She did not answer him.

 _'_ _I get it okay, I am not the one you want to open up to know.'_ She looked up at him with bright eyes that were holding a storm of their own in them.

_'_ _But if there is anything left of what you told Duncan, if there is anything left that felt the way you did when you saved my ass, could you please hear me out?'_

She nodded shortly.

Charlie knew he was trying, but this was so hard. So hard. But everything about what she felt when it came to him was hard. So she give him a chance, for now.

He shoved some ground away with his boot.

_'_ _What happened between your mom and I was almost 8 years ago and the result of some fucked up decision when Miles just left the Republic. It did not mean a damn thing, only happened one night.'_

She almost winced at his words. Fucking hell. He took in another breath as he felt the painful tension in his jaws.

_'_ _I could not hear any word of whining and bitching and I could not take it anymore. I know she is your mom, Charlie but hell, I really could not take it anymore from her.'_

Charlie felt a part of her burning with understanding. She had told Miles before, she had told her mom before, weeks ago that if this was about Miles' guilt and her mom's desire to push herself between Miles and Bass, lashing out whenever she could, that they should stop this. She was not blind, she was not the kid her mother believed her to still be, like time stood still. She saw what was going on and her mind had put the pieces together. What she had found out, about what happened in Philly, did not come as a complete surprise.

She heard the bitter, the pain in his voice.

_'_ _I hate for you to have to walk into all of that bullshit, and you were right. It should have been about Miles, not about what you walked into.'_

Charlie looked up. She knew this was about as close as an apology she would get from Bass. He was not saying it, but she could see the regret all in his eyes.

 _'_ _Facing Neville, knowing you two were behaving like a couple of children?'_ She paused, her blue meeting his,  _'Miles was missing, he could have been dead. I split up to give him a better change, not to have Neville in front of me and the both of you out there going at each other.'_

She saw how he moved closer to her, now sitting down beside her.

_'_ _Charlie, what did he do?'_

Fuck, she was talking to him. he had no idea how long it would last, but he would take it.

 _'_ _He found me, demanded I would take him to all of you. There was no way I..._ ' guilt in her voice,  _'I lead him to that safe house, as I tried to get that knife under the table Miles left there. But he saw through me. Shoved me through the room.'_

He felt like shit when she talked.

 _'_ _I heard Miles in the back of my mind to not give in, but I couldn't... he saw it in my eyes.'_  This time he heard hate for herself as tears broke through.

He was sitting so damn close to her, but she was a world away.

_'_ _When he realised what I had done, he emptied his clip, in the wall right behind me.'_

She felt cold at the memory of what happened next.

 _'_ _And then, he shoved his gun right in my face.'_  She let out a painful breath.

 _'_ _He pulled the trigger and I just stood there.'_ She opened her mouth but could not find any words for how she had felt.

Instead, she finally felt how she lost the battle. Bass watched her shaking, tears in her eyes, her mouth opened in that silent raw pain.

 _'_ _I just stood there and I...'_  the surreal moment came back as she was in a space without something to ground her from that moment, her mouth open, not being able to speak anymore.

He moved forward and placed an arm around her, a hand in her neck as he could not hold back and he needed to hold all of her.

His chest was solid as her body made contact with it.

And she cried. She cried as he smoothly pulled his fingers through her hair and he held her with an intensity that grounded her.

When she felt there were no more tears to cry she moved away from him, rubbing the tears from her cheeks as she watches his soaked shirt with tears from her.

After a while, she finally spoke.

_'_ _You and my mom, that's done?'_

_'_ _There is no me and your mom. It was one night.'_

He watched her, his words firm and strong and rough.

 _'_ _I wanted to tell you, fuck Charlie, I wanted to.'_ He was looking at his hands. New guilt, new shame, the pounding of how much he hated to hurt her even more like a wild beast in his chest.

_'_ _I need time.'_

_Hell,_ he did not want to walk away. But he did that anyway. He nodded. Trying to reach for her eyes but she denied him access.

* * *

He had just finished second watch as he moved back to the fire where Connor was asleep on the other side. He watched the camp, doing another check of the perimeter before he would allow himself some sleep. He heard the familiar jonggling of her belt, as he jerked his head up. And right in front of him, Charlie stood before him. She did not say anything as she shoved her sleeping back on the ground next to him, laid down, moved a hand closer to her face, and closed her eyes. He watched her form. Leather jacket, legs, boots. The sounds of the fire close.

He looked at her. This was Charlie telling him they had another chance. This was Charlie, giving him another fucking change. He moved next to her, on his own bedroll as he did not speak.

Later that night, he would wake up and feel her right behind him. Her head close to his shoulder blades, as she was using his warmth through the night. He listened to her breath.

* * *

Charlie woke up in the middle of the night. She could see the stars above her. She had thought about it all she could bear. And in the end, she had trusted what she felt herself, what she wanted for herself, just as she had done so many times before when it came to her. It was not his eyes, it were not his lips, his warm breath, his daring words close to her ear. There was more. And she knew, that in this world, she still felt the truth behind her own words, that you had to grab anything that was worth holding onto. She hated the idea of him, with her, and it would take time. But he was Bass, the guy that had every opportunity to kill her, to hurt her, the moment she walked her ass over to Vegas to kill him, to hurt him. He hadn't. He was here, fighting with her, making sure she was all right. Sometimes in a silent way, sometimes in a not so silent way.

And she had showed herself, showed to him, that she would save his ass if she had too, even if it meant going against her mom, even if it meant risking her own. And even with everything, she knew, she did that with reason. Because she cared.

She had grabbed her stuff, had walked over to Bass, tilted her head, had shoved her sleeping roll next to his and had laid down. Waited. Waited until she heard how he moved next to her. And then, her eyes had felt heavy and she had fallen asleep.

When she woke up, she could feel him close. She had moved towards him, in her sleep. She watched the lines of his back in his leather jacket, as she noticed his blanket was on top of her, and she turned on her other side. Her head almost in the hollow of his shoulder blades.

* * *

Later that day

Night had turned into day. Miles doing better, Rachel looking with ices in her eyes as she watched who laid behind him, as he woke up, and so had Charlotte. He had not made a move to touch her, giving her space.

She had followed him, or he had followed her. He did not give a fuck. They moved into the same time and space, in the trees around camp.

_'_ _It's in the past?'_

He nodded.  _'Yes.'_  He said firmly, but answering her not with his words, but with his eyes. He did not move them away from her.

Charlie read the honesty in there.

 _'_ _Did I completely fuck up on whatever the hell this is?'_  he asked her, roughly, so open as she never heard him. She already knew the answer, but seeing him this open before her, broke through the wall.

 _'_ _No.'_  She answered him, her big blue eyes honest, back at him, as the last afternoon light hit the blue in her eyes.

It was everything he needed, as he took a step forwards and he moved her into his arms, against his chest, hands covering her face as his mouth slowly, eagerly tasted hers.

He kissed her. Moving his mouth over hers in a rhythm that drew her closer, as he steadied her with his touch. Charlie felt his hardness, him pressing her on it, she moving against it. Showing her how very much he needed her.

They kissed.

It only seemed fitting, that it would happen here, between green, under trees. The light crashing through leaves. Because right under those trees it was where they had once started their way here.

He moved them both to the ground, her sitting between his legs. And then, all of sudden, her soft voice was close to his ear.

 _'_ _Thank you_.' Another kiss as he sat so still.  _'For seeing me, and not leaving me.'_

When what she felt was finally turned into words, she understood. He was there, he had been there. Seen her through it all. And never ever walked away, never ever stopped being there for her.

She sat there, on his lap. Both of them just looking, her body fitting into his body. Her thighs resting over his.

Bass looked at her, mesmerised. Like the day he just met her. Her words reached him. Nobody ever thanked him anymore. But she, this woman, she broke through and he wanted her to break though. He wanted her, all of her. He needed her.

 _'_ _Come here,_ ' he said lowly, words in a breath. He cupped her face, as warm fingers moved around her skin.

Clothing was slowly moved out of the way, as she felt his strength at work. His want for her between them, her want for him there too. He felt how she let him in, as he looked at her, her hand going through his beard, and he waited. She nodded, ever so slightly and when he buried himself in her,she locked eyes, like this was the first time he was going to take her. He kissed her, a moan for him, her lips moving into desire.

They kissed. Long, deep, fast, soft, wild, hungry, desperately, slowly.

She watched his sweat on his skin. She felt how Bass started to move. The line of his chest before her. He watched her, flowing. He used his hips and his boots on the ground to angle himself to get more from her. Pushing himself into her every time.

She disappeared into the space of his neck, and let his arms shield her from everything else.

His answer were strong muscled arms even closer around her _. 'Let go, I've got you.'_ His tone low, husky rhythm as he realised he meant that in every fucking meaning of the word.

And when he was about to come, and she would follow him, he could see it all over her fucking beautiful stunning face, he whispered harshly in her ear, filling her with his sticky warmth.

_'_ _There is only you and me, babe.'_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did, bringing them back together, giving them something they both desired there in that silent forest. Thanks for reading! Love from Love


	21. Two brothers, one woman.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your kind appreciation and reviews!

Brothers

We swore blood brothers against the wind, I'm ready to grow young again.

Bruce Springsteen.

I want to dedicate this chapter to Bass and Miles. Because, friendship stays.

He held her as long as she wanted to be held, there under the roof of leaves in that silent corner of the trees around their camp. Out of breath, her breasts pressing against her chest, one hand going over her neck, brushing her hear. He kissed her again, a warm slow kiss against her temple.

'So, that was kind of nice,' Charlie smirked at him, her teeth white, her mouth relaxed as she smiled at him.

'Nice,' Bass grunted, 'You got that, from all of that?' He bit some skin lightly.

'Well, okay, maybe it was kind of real good.' She raised an eyebrow, messing with him, as she bit his earlobe.

'You are one hell of a woman,' he pulled her in the lock of one arm, messing with her as she fought back.

They met somewhere in a long kiss as Bass gentle stroked the side of her breast.

They knew they had to go back. So when he gave her her top, and sadly watched how she covered up those amazing tits of her, which earned him an actual fucking wink from Charlotte he met her eyes. God, she was beautiful. Her skin flushed, her hair messy and wild. He kneeled down to help her with her boot that was giving her trouble. He looked at her one more time.

Then he looked at her.

'What?' Charlie felt uncomfortable, his eyes missing his usual smug arrogance.

'You look fucking beautiful like this, Charlotte.' And then she almost blushed, at so much honesty. She was not used to this.

He walked her back to camp. And right before they were there, he pulled Charlie towards him, for an almost aggressive harsh kiss.

And from that silent place where he almost found some fucking peace of mind for a couple of minutes, they would walk back straight into hell. Bass had found a bottle of booze, and wanted to give his brother that to let him know that Miles could be a dick, but he was damn glad the dick did not die.

Of course, Rachel was there. The minutes he had with Miles, without her, were different than the rest. Miles did not even take the fucking bottle.

And after that, a large group of birds flew over their camp, calling their alarms with high cries in the air. He could hear Priscilla say something to Staypuft, who started running first.

'What's wrong with staypuft?' Bass growled, looking at the sky, as their whole camp did pretty much the same.

He stood nailed to the fucking ground as he found out was wrong. The yellow cloud of gas reached around a corner.

'Get to higher ground, now.' Miles barked through the camp.

And then, he heard the nauseating sounds of shots. The assholes were trying to kill them all with the gas, and those who tried to run would be shot, shutting down their only escape route. Bodies fell from the higher parts of the structure. Screams, shots, his own boots hitting the ground, making sure Connor, Charlie, Miles, they were all within his sight. Miles shouted something, and then Bass saw it too. And old truck, with a loading hatch.

Charlie ran, with her heartbeat in her body as she felt every part of her telling her not to stop. Keep going. You are still alive. She headed for the tank in front of her, as she desperately tried to open the hatch. It did not give an inch

He watched Charlie try to open it, but she would never have enough strength for it, even with her stubbornness. He was with her in seconds, opening it with everything he had until the damn thing moved. He barked at anyone to get in. She watched his face fill with edgy lines as he used all force to open the hatch.

And then, there was darkness. As the shooting continued and the camp grew silent under a blanket of mustard gas.

When they were all in, Bass, Miles and Connor with their weapons aimed at the hatch, her mom, Gene and a devastating Aaron who had to leave Priscilla behind sitting in front of her, with a Scanlon behind her uncle, she aimed her gun right at the hatch, as sounds from outside broke fear in her that they would be found out. That it would be all over. That fear was in her eyes, her eyes meeting with a Bass that was concentrating, strength in his tall shoulders, determined to shoot each and every one that stood behind him and his family. He looked at a blazing Charlie, who's eyes were firing at him. He met hers, trying to ground her as both Miles and Connor stood by him.

They would not be found out. They sat there, many hours, in that empty tank until both Miles and Bass decided with one look. They moved out.

As she looked at Bass, free air finally there, she could see the intensity in his eyes, his shoulders blocks of tension, his every step of his boots putting anger in the ground. She did not talk to him as they walked to their next safe house but he was close.

_A couple of hours later._

Whispers. Charlie was looking for things they could use, in the abandoned safe house they found in the cover of trees near a silent road. Bass was outside, with Connor and Scanlon. They had walked for hours straight and she could feel how tired she was.

Again. Whispers.

'Miles it is the only way. I've heard you on the way here, Bass is out of control. Please tell me you see this too.'

It was her mother's voice.

Miles sighed. Charlie could hear the doubt in his voice.

'Go with him, fetch that mustard gas from them, bring it back so I can neutralise it. I'll be here, waiting.'

Charlie put her hands before her chest. She was in the doorway, not even hiding herself.

'He would never go for that Rach, he would never believe I just turned my back on you.'

'Then we will make him believe it, pretend we are done. Bass wants to believe that.'

Rachel's voice was filled with too much anticipation as she said that. Charlie's stomach turned ,the words making herself nauseous, sick, sad and disappointed at the same time.

It is that moment that Charlie decided to announce herself. She stood hallfway between the room and the door that lead outside, as she felt she is not alone anymore. She knew Bass is standing right behind her.

'I have never said anything when I knew something was going on between the both of you. Never said anything when the both of you are never even mentioning his name.

Ben.

But I am not going to stand here, talking about playing Bass and using this, between the both of you to do that. It's a disgrace to dad's memory.'

Miles looked at her in awkwardly as her mother was ready to talk, of course she was. Charlie was sure she had something to say to make this all right. For herself.

'Do you know what an insult this is to dad, doing this?'

She kept her voice firm, but tears were thickening her chest, sadness too, as she saw her dad before her. Allowed herself for a second to miss him.

'Charlie, we have to stop this,' him her mother tried.

'Then go talk to him,' she looked straight at Miles, 'he is right there. Talk to him, fight him. But don't use this to play him.'

She felt Bass' eyes on her.

'You were going to play me like some chump, huh?' Rage, complete and utter rage for what the bitch and his brother were voice was rough, dark, just like his eyes, that matched the colour of the night sky. His hands were close to his body, but Charlie knew that would not last.

Bass had stood there for a while, long enough to understand what the hell was going on. He could not believe his fucking ears. He heard some pathetic shit, but this was the cherry on the god damn cake.

'God, Rachel has her head so far up your ass.' He circled around Miles.

'This is not about Rachel, this is about you and me. And the fact that you did not change.'

Charlie felt Bass' pain, as she watched the rage that covered Bass pain at those words from Miles. But his eyes, they betrayed him. His strangled rough voice too. Bass shoved Miles in his chest.

'Wrong, you are wrong. I did change.'

She was about to step in, as Miles told her to go inside and go back to her mom. And that was the wrong thing to say.

Bass moved closer to Miles, putting himself right in front of Charlie.

'You don't talk to her like that Miles. Stop treating her like a damn child, telling her to keep her mouth shut when you,' he shoved his fingers into Miles' chest, 'don't want to hear it.'

'We need that gas. Stick it to them where it hurts the most.' Bass continued.

'For what?' Charlie's voice, 'your revenge or where I brought you back for, because you told me want to win this, make sure the patriots don't win this.' Her voice was sharp.

Itt was like she was looking straight to him. She knew. Of course she knew. And she was Charlie, and she was not keeping her mouth shut. But unlike Rachel, hell, maybe even unlike Miles, she was honest, even if was something that was fucking hard to hear. She never backed down. From the start, she had given him hell.

SHE had given him truth.

ANd from the moment he considered her as an equal, not wanting to kill her off for the truth, for being in his face, in his personal space he knew this was so much more.

His almost dark eyes pierced right into hers. Both. The answer was both. She knew. He swallowed with difficulty.

Charlie already knew that he wanted both. Revenge for framing him for the bombs, realising he was broken inside with shame and guilt and need for revenge, for recognisation, for the fact they pinned that on him. But he also wanted to make sure those assholes did not win.

He held his arms next to his body in a frustrated gesture. 'So, if we are not stealing that gas, than what the hell are we going to do here? Because I am done holding our lady parts here, Miles.' He spat those words out in a low rhythm with sarcasm.

'We do have something to do.'

It was the old man.

_Two days later_

Connor had basically told him to go to hell, when he was about to move out with Miles, Charlie, the old man and the Joe kid. Bass had watched him.

Connor's eyes were stormy and intense and sickening at what was happening here. Just like always, it was about Miles. Again.

'Let's just get out of here dad,' Connor said to Bass, 'I think we are kind of done with this whole dysfunctional Matheson family.'

Scanlon walked over to Connor, ready to leave this shit behind. He had already lost enough men.

Bass pressed his lips together. Nodding no. No matter how fucked up this nice giant enormous mess was, he was not walking away. He was ready to punch the shit out of Miles, but he was not leaving her. And fucking hell, apparantely he was not walking away from Miles either. But he swore, if the bitch would play one more bitch move, he would fucking not take any of her crap again. But it stung like hell, his kid walking away this easy from all of this. He was a god damn Monroe, they did not walk away from anything.

'Connor, come on.' He tried, feeling fucking stupid this showdown happened in front of Rachel, Miles and Charlie.

'Fine,' Connor bit at him, 'then I'll go. I had enough of this.'

And with that, his son had turned around, Scanlon tailing him, as he had moved out.

* * *

 

Connor stood in front of Scanlon, as they had found a place to get some rest, water and eat something before they would move on. A blade, and Tom Neville behind him.

'I am not going to kill you boy, we have work to do.'

* * *

They had stolen a fucking train, like a story out of a boys book he read so many years ago.

It had been the old man who had finally made himself useful. Gene had gone into town, came back with Truman's girlfriend and with intel that told him there would be gas out there to take. A whole train wagon load full of it.

They would only have to steal the damn thing.

So, in town they had found a guy named Joe, when he was getting water for that damn train. Charlie held him at gunpoint with such a fucking smile, that Bass felt pride. Joe worked at the train yard, and his kid would stop by to bring the officers some food with a flirty smile every now and then. He, together with Charlie, Miles and the old man hid in a compartment under the wagon.

At the end of the day, all kaki's shot and dead of their train, he climbed back up to find Miles and Charlie, together on the first wagon behind the steam engine. She lay on her belly, almost comfortable, on her ellbows, watching Miles, laughing at him.

The sun moved through the leaves, hitting her face with the rhythm of the train moving through her hips.

'Pull the whistle Joe, we just stole a train.' Miles yelled, getting onto his knees.

And as the whistle blew, the sound moving through the trees that were moving past them, and the rhythm of the train under him, he watched the brother he thought he had lost.

Broad smile, dark hair, eyes that never changed, free. Free from all the bullshit, free from a world that was broken around them. as it all changed for good, taking dreams, woman, an unborn child, and a piece of their souls with them.

And then, he watched how Charlie howled to the sound of the whistle, as she laughed at Miles, freely too.

Two boys were running through the summer day, over a small bridge over a small creek in a small town called Jasper. They are inseparable. They are free, free to live and laugh and get into trouble and play with fake guns, chasing each other, yelling at each other they would kill each other, reliving stories from books and moves, being soldiers, without fear and with the feeling that these days would never end. How could they. They run, they laugh, and later, they will have dinner at Bass', his mother putting dinner on the table as she shakes her head with a smile at the state the boys have walked in. They have dinner on a late summer night in Indiana.

His heart broke free for a moment, as he joined them. The tree of them, free from everything else in that small moment of time, as they were just Charlie, Bass and Miles.

Brothers. Friends. Family.

Charlie looked up at him, as she lay there, on the top of the wagon, between her uncle and Bass. And she smiled, again, so hard it hurt in her stomach.

Her family. Her guys. Friends. Brothers.

Hers.

Brothers.

And there, she knew that if life could not break them, break their bound, then maybe, things would be all right for them.

Her family. Her guys. Friends. Brothers.

Bass watched her, restraining himself from wanting to push back a lock of hair behind her ears. Her smile stunning,warming him as his eyes locked with Miles, and he grinned at him, as his brother grinned back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment on the train, for me, was golden perfection. I loved it! It was the perfect moment for this. This is a dedication to Miles, Bass, to friendship that survives through time. So, this chapter was something different from the show, but I wanted to write something about their brotherhood, and that moment with the train, felt so perfect for that. A way to heal something for myself what we saw in the show, because I hated that moment when they played Bass and Charlie kept quiet. And well...Charlie looked so freaking amazing there, and I wanted Bass to see how amazing she was there with the badass moments with Joe near the river and the moment on the train. Last chapter is on the way, epsiode 22, chapter 22, as everything comes together. Join me there? Love from Love


	22. Charlie and Bass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case, I could offer you a warm embrace, to make you feel my love
> 
> The storms are raging on the rolling sea...
> 
> And on the highway of regret  
> The winds of change are blowing wild and free
> 
> Adele
> 
> I was just ready to finish this chapter here and conlude the story, when the radio gave me a present of this wonderful song from Adele. Since this whole story is about change, the last line was amazing, just like the rest of the song for Charlie and Bass. I was about to type the last words here, and that is why I shared this with you.

 

When darkness had sat in, the train came to a stop. They would meet a couple of Joe's friends from town here, the gas now in their hands before other hands would use it for other purposes.

Bass boots hit the floor, as he watched Charlie and Miles climb of the steam engine. The wagon was there, but no men in sight. Bass moved over to the wagon of the train, further ahead, adjusting his gun against his lower back. The ridge of a scar a painful reminder of his son, his kid, he never had, he went through hell for and then to lose him all fucking over again.

It was when he heard a crack of a branch breaking, that he grabbed his gun, shot of adrenaline through his system. He looked right into the face of Tom Neville. His eyes moved over to his kid standing next to Neville, Scanlon not far behind.

He tried to reach Charlie, but there was too much distance between them.

He watched how Miles moved in front of her, as he watched her freeze. He stood there, watching another of his former men with his gun trained on Miles and Charlie.

He watched her, watched him, cold sweat and panic he pushed out to stay focussed.

'Whooo Tom,' Miles said, hands in the air, ignoring the retching sensation in his throat.

This could not be the fuck happening. He once, in his madness let Strausser too close to her, and that man wouldhave used her, if that was what got him his damn amplifier. Charlie just a pawn in his game for more control, for more power.

'Well, Generals, good evening.' His voice was cold, as his whole face was strangled with hate and coldness.

'Dad,' Connor said coldly to his father.

Connor stood a little behind Neville, gun in his hands too. He remembered Charlie, when she had walked into their camp and he heard what happened to her, with Neville. She was a good girl, had always sort of been nice to him, but right now that did not matter anymore. He would not hurt her, but he was promised a Republic, not some BFF show from Miles and his dad.

'Tom,' Bass said , geting his attention.

Charlie heard his voice, but could not move. She knew what Neville was here for. And didn't she deserve this, after what she had done.

'Two things. We will hop on that little train of yours, take a trip down to DC. But first,' his tone like he was talking about taking a vacation before it dropped to a darker tone, his hand moved closer around his gun, 'she murdered my kid. And the last time I might let her walk, but this time, that little whore will die.'

Rage pumped through Bass, as Neville spoke. He took three large steps and was with Neville in seconds, his gun aimed at his temple.

'Well well well,' Neville sneered, 'I wonder what Uncle Miles will think about this.'

'Stop this now Tom, or I will drop you right now.' Bass growled at him. His muscles in his neck stood out with heated rage.

Miles watched in horror how Neville's index finger was about to pull the trigger. Then, Bass moved. He moved. Bass reached for Neville's gun, twisting his arms, as the gun went off. Miles stepped in to hit the guy on the head as Neville moved to the ground, unconscious. Connor stood there, huffing with rage, but not making a move, his eyes dark and on Miles and his dad.

Charlie head the gun, watched Bass move, but she couldn't move. Guilt kept her in place.

As Miles looked at the direction of the tank, realising the gun that had went off, went straight to that tank, he stepped away from Charlie. Bass looked t the ground, feeling so muchshame, for letting this happen fucking again.

When he finally had the guts to look at her, she looked like she was barely hanging on. Tears in her eyes, her cheeks pale, as she stood there, almost trembling. He looked at her and there it was, the tiniest nod, gratitude or relieve in her eyes, aimed at him.

Charlie watched his jaws locked, the lines in his face so harsh, as she still stood there, nailed to the ground. Guilt, shame, realising what Bass had done for her. She could only nod, hoping he would get it. His eyes were wide and filled with shame and she knew, he knew, they knew, they both remembered that moment in Philly.

But as always life demanded their time again, as they heard Miles and realised there was still a tank load of musterd gas standing next to them.

'What. The. Hell.' Miles said, as he watched the breach from Neville's bullet. They should have been dead by now, but when he knocked at the tank, it confirmed what he knew. The tank was empty.

'It's not here.' He said grimly.

'Than where the hell is it?' Bass growled.

Joe stepped up, after a moment of silence. 'I might know where they took it. It is not here. It is in Willoughby. There is a concert there tonight.'

'The assholes are not taking it anywhere.' Miles sighed.

It was that fact, that shook Charlie out of her state. She moved back to where Neville made her drop her weapon as Bass moved with Miles, Joe and her grandpa to the wagon.

Connor however, did not move.

'You get on the wagon.' Bass growled. He was done with all the attitude from his kid.

'No, thank you dad. I think I will pass on gas town.'

Bass locked eyes with Connor, not believing his damn ears. But there was no time. They had to move. He told Connor he would deal with him later, as she climbed on the wagon right behind Charlie.

Of course he was on team Charlie. Even if he was not trying, somehow he always sided with her as they now moved silently over stairs, upstairs the community building in town. He did not mind, but he did mind that the old man was moving with them. They had reached Willoughby, reached the town meeting hall where the concert had started. They had split up, Miles on his way to deal with a distraction and getting everyone the hell out with Joe. He, Charlie and the old man on their way to the mustard gas.

They found it. Upstairs, close the ventilation system, they found fucking loads of it. Barrel after barrel, ready. 

Gene was ready to shoot the kaki that stood next to one of the barrels and Bass was barely on time and stopped his stupid ass decisions'.

'No,' he growled silently at him. Nodding at the barrels. It was not much laterhe heard the sound of an arrow flying through the air. The guy dropped dead, eliminating the threat he just started. The gas stayed in the barrel. She looked at him and Bass watched her fucking firing eyes at him, and he swore, she looked stunning as hell. She had unfrozen again, and it was like the beginning, how they once had started fighting, fire and eyelocks and silent passion.

Gene moved away from him, as he dropped to his knees.

Truman's bitch was there on the ground, very much dead, blood flowing from her stomach. Shit. He watched Charlie watching the old man with the woman in his hands as he started to cry with desperation.

'Marion..' he hushed at her. Looking at her, trying to get through that she was gone.

They had no time for this shit, they had to get out of there. Bass could not think about another day, another room, another city where he had found Charlie on the floor with another body on her lap. He knew she was going back there as her eyes fixed on the scene before her. He stared at her, waited for her to look at him with narrowed eyes.

She did. And Charlie knew what he asked her, she knew they had to keep on moving as emotions almost pulled her back into a dark corner. His eyes were demanding, intense, but with an understanding in there too that rocked her through the core. And it was that understanding, that strength that pushed her on.

She moved to her grandpa, kneeled down next to him.

'We have to go granpda.'

* * *

_Three days later_

Days of searching for Connor lead to nothing. And when Miles and Rachel were not even trying to talk to him about it, dammit, he was his kid, and he would fight for his family, Charlie was there. Sitting down next to him around the fire. Understanding he did not want to talk about any of it, but being there, being her.

They had grabbed the leader of the little kaki club, president Davis, on his way out from Willoughby. He had been happy to put a bullet in him, but fine. Whatever.

'We are going to kidnap the president.' Miles had said earlier. Bass had cocked his gun when he had listened to his brother. Listened to his motivational speech.

'You know who talk like that?' He had said to Miles. His brother had looked at him, already knowing the answer.

And now he was moving the asshole in front of him, the old guy that dared to name himself president. The guy that had framed him for those bombs, the guy that had sent Randal fucking Flynn to him. So close he could kill him. The huy had played him. Used him. And in his madness for more, he had let the guy in. It was time to set things straight. Not much later they were under attack, heavily under fire as Charlie and himself ended up behind Miles and Rachel, with Davis. As bullets were flying, it was Miles who shouted for them to get the hell out of here.

Bass looked at Davis, the lust for blood and revenge circling in his mind.

'Bass, get ouf of here!' Miles shouted. 'I trust you.' Three fucking words, when everything else faded out.

And then, the rest moved on, as he and Charlie dragged the man to his feet, put him in the back of the wagon waiting for them as their escape, and he and Charlie were out of there.

Shots in the distance, Miles holding them of, so they could make their escape. Their load silently in the back of the wagon as they moved through the forest.

Charlie looked at Bass, deep in thought, reins in hand. They had started together like this, on their way back. She heard what Miles had said, but more importantly, she saw what they did to Bass. She sat down next to him. In this together, realising that maybe after this, Cali would not rip Texas apart, that they would find a way to find the kaki's, and this time for good.

They stopped at a shed, to get some water. Bass moved the sorry excuse of a president into the old shed. When the asshole started to talk the big talk, after he had shot Charlie a look bass really did not the fuck like before they moved into the shed ,k Bass got down to his knees before him and looked him straight in the eyes. Listening to the guy, telling them this would never work. Bass his face calm, relaxed in an almost deadly way.

'If this is not going to work out, then I will get to cut your throat and watch you bleed to death.' Old hate bottled up, came out in those slow spoken but so deadly words. He left the asshole behind to think about just that as he left the shed.

They were getting some water when they both turned around in synch, after hearing the tiniest of twitches of a twig, drawing their guns. Connor was before him.

'Connor.' Bass barely got out, stunned. He was here.

'Dad.' His eyes on him, on Charlie, the shotgun in his hands.

'Connor, please come with me.' His voice was pleading, his eyes soft, his face vulnerable, open.

'You promised me that republic, and I think it is time you came through dad, don't you think?' Connor's words were bitter, 'Let's kill that asshole, put a dent in the east coast.'

'That's smart kid,'  _dammit,_  'but I promised Miles something.' Bass tried, knowing damn well he overstepped to get Connor out of there one day, and he had promised him something that maybe wasn't there to promise to begin with.

All that mattered, was bringing Davis back to their meeting point, hoping gramps would come through as he went to Austin to grab Blanchard, who was now running the show now. And showing him exactly what Davis was playing at. Hoping Texas would declare war at them, instead of Cali, getting rid of the kaki's at last.

'But I am your blood.' Connor all but spat out.

Charlie noticed movement further ahead on the hill. Neville. Scanlon. One look at Bass told her he knew too. She watched tears in Bass eyes, as she understood the magnitude of this struggle for him, of loyalty, of finding a piece of who he should have been, of doing what needed to be done and being there for his kid.

She stepped in.

'Do you know how hard he is willing to fight for you?' Charlie said loyally.

Bass watched her from the corner of his eyes as he held the gun in his hand. Almost breaking because of what the hell was happening here. Connor betraying him and Charlie. Charlie defending him, after everything what happened. After so many things lost for good.

'Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have somebody who is willing to fight that hard for you? This is your place, this is where you need to be. He loves you Connor, don't throw that away.'

Connor looked at her in shock, Charlie's eyes and words ringing truth.

Connor was about to lower his gun as his dad hissed no. His eyes screaming no. Connor realised it would be their end if he did. He looked at Charlie, at his dad. The old battle between wanting to trust, wanting to belong and the old hunger for power Nunez had filled him with, putting oil on a flame that was once there.

Bass nodded at him.  _It will be all right son. It will be all right._ His eyes finding him and telling that to his kid over and over again. How many times his kid would screw thing up. He would be there. That's what a father was being about. That was what family was about. It is what Miles did for him in that field as the rangers attacked them. It was what Charlie did from the beginning, as they got on the road that first day just outside Pottsboro. He learned from them to be that guy again. Bass would fight for his family. He fucking would.

One second, before everything unfroze and moved again.

The three of them moved fast. Bass took out Scanlon as Charlie fired with intensity on her face, the same on he saw in that abandoned gym a year ago. With Connor and Charlie firing at Neville, Bass moved fast, taking a turn, giving him one hell of shot. He took it without hesitation.

Tom Neville was dead.

* * *

They had made it to the meeting point, as he stopped the wagon with Charlie. And Connor. Davis. It was dark. Connor choose him, choose family. He had no idea where they would end up, but it was a start. He took it, it was better than nothing although the sharp pain and echo of what almost happened stayed with him.

Miles and Rachel were waiting on the steps, of their safe house as he stopped the wagon. Miles nodded at him, not making a big deal out of it, not even mentioning that he thought Bass would screw them over this time. it was like old times It was something natural, that he reminded from days before, where a nod was all it took between them. Rachel stood there, her face sharp but she did thank him, although he could hear the incredulity reaching over her words.

Connor helped him water the horses. And then, there was her. On those steps.

Only her.

Just her.

He watched her, as the moonlight warmed her face. Her dark blonde curls heavy around her face in long curls, as her eyes were as gentle as they had ever been. Eyes that told him, she knew, she knew he would come through. He could only hold her eyes. Knowing what she did for him. She held his. Knowing, that piece of her that once told her, she should save him, that piece of him that was there, light in the dark, that piece of her was right. She watched Bass.

And then, she walked in, walked in to the final stop they had to make before this all would be over.

He would be right there with her.

* * *

_A couple of weeks later, camp outside Willoughby_

Other saw the General, the cold fast grin around his lips as the shots were fired, ending the era of kaki and betrayal and typhus in oranges and boot camps and plans that made no sense to good and humanity.

But Charlie saw the man, saw Bass, saw the hurt, the way they had used him. She saw the man that had been obsessed with what happened because of that, because of who he let close. She knew his nightmares, his pain, his guilt.

She woke up with an arm dangling from a cot. The reassuring sounds outside, of a camp well secured at night, with crickets somewhere far away reached her.

The light his his beard, his jaws, his eyelashes, his shoulders, his chest. His leather jacket on a chari close to them, just like his weapons. Her crossbow was close to her.

She took in his familiar scent. She turned around. He was there. He had been there so many times now. But things change, and instead of distrust and rage and loathing she laid next to Bass with trust, and understanding and knowing he had her, he saw her, her most dark corners, but he still had her.

_The sun was slowly setting, as Charlie sat down to the stream not far from camp. Bass found her, like he always did. And would. He sat down next to her._

_Elbow against elbow._

_He respected her enough, knowing she could take care of herself, but it was not about that. He kept an eye on her, because she was his, and he would never not care, protect, fight for the people he loved._

_'_ _Why me, Charlie?'_

_He finally had the guts to look at her, asking her what has been on his mind since she saved his ass for the very first time._

_'_ _Because, you can be an ass, just like Miles, but you are kind of all right.' She raised her eyebrow, a smirk, as he grinned back at her._

_'_ _And because the guy you showed me over and over again, is somebody I did not expect. Because you became one of the people I want to fight with, and want to fight for.'_

_She saw the tension in his jaws, as he moved his fingers over her arm._

_'_ _Because you make things better, because you make me feel like this.' And then she moved over to him, kissing him gently, softly._

_'_ _I will always fight for you, Charlie.' He said, almost ashamed, his voice husky. Fuck. This was hard._

_'_ _I will never stop fighting for you Bass.' She looked at him with clear blue eyes, simple words, like it had always been like this._

_He looked at her like he would never stop. His blue eyes intense, on her. War was ahead, and god help the person who would come between him and Charlie._

_It was what Charlie said to Duncan, defending him. He did know about family._

_he always had._

_he always would._

_'_ _Now shut up and kiss me, Bass.' She said seriously, playfully._

_She did not have time to smirk her Matheson smirk, because he pushed her onto the ground, kissing her passionately._

_He cared about her._

_They had not said it out loud, but she knew, he knew. Like she told him the same with her eyes._

_'God you feel good Bass, want you. All of you. Always.'_

_He moved his fingers between the valley of her legs. He whispered in her ear, 'You are one hell of a woman Charlie. '_

_She laughed, freely. And then he bit her neck and Bass looked at her, mesmerised by her. His voice was serious when he spoke again. 'Don't ever change.'_

Charlie decided he would not be asleep longer, with a wicked smile around her face. She placed a hand on his back, strong, assuring. She laid there, for a moment in the dark, like they did for so long now. His tall body shielding hers, his breathing through the night, as her body formed to his, feeling him so close, in the middle of that night.

Forgiveness was there, slowly silently growing in between them. With their actions, showing faith, showing loyalty, showing support. They would fight. Together. They would laugh their asses of. Together. With Miles, always there, Charlie between both men. They would live, together.

Maybe not all stories of understanding, healing and love are set in a picture perfect environment. Maybe every now and then you find those stories in the middle of darkness, hurt and impossibilities.

Against all odds, two people found each other. At a place and time in their lives neither one of them imagined possible. Their world and history is still one with darkness and impossibilities, but the understanding and love between them will help them with the hurt. With the lingering darkness Will help them heal. In a way neither of them will see coming, but nevertheless, they  _wil_ l get there.

And maybe every now and then, two people will learn that nothing ever stays the same.

Things change.

And will change. But every now and then, they change for the better.

After all, she is a Matheson, he is a Monroe.

That's stubbornness.

That's fighting over nothing.

Fighting over everything.

Making up with passion, their body's close.

It's strength,

resilience,

it's stumble down and get up again,

it's never giving up.

It's fierce love

It's Charlie and Bass.

_To be continued in many more wonderfull stories from many talented fanfic writers.._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sweet friends, my dear readers, thank you. So very much. For your feedback, support, reviews, follows and kudos. They meant everything, when it took me a lot of energy to finish this story. They made me come back to this story. The last scene was on my computer for so long now, and you helped me make the bridge between the chapters and the last part. I can't thank you enough for that!
> 
> Meet you again in other stories,
> 
> With love,
> 
> Love from Love


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